Elite LB Tackett Curtis talks USC, playoff defense

MANY, La. — Tackett Curtis was the difference as Many (La.) opened up their playoff run over the weekend.

Curtis, the Consensus‘ No. 10 linebacker in the country, was a force on both sides of the ball in a tightly contested 21-0 home playoff victory. Curtis scored twice and made several plays from his hybrid role on defense. The regional playoff shutout win extended Many’s defensive scoreless streak, which started on October 14 and now has the Tigers two wins away from returning to the state championship game in New Orleans.

“We all work together and everybody does their job, and when we come together it’s hard to score on us. We’re playing at a high level right now,” said Curtis, who piled up several tackles in the win. “I was loving it. I love this game. I don’t like the blowout type of games. When we saw they were gonna put up a fight, it made me play at a higher level.”

The 6-foot-2.5, 220-pounder dispelled several defenders on a first-half touchdown run called back by a holding call, then pummeled his way through two crowds of defenders for both of Many’s second-half rushing touchdowns.

The On300 defender, recently named as a Butkus Award finalist, is wired differently.

“I’ve always thought our team plays up to the competition, so if it’s a good game we get up for it and play better in big games and big atmospheres when the pressure is on,” Curtis said. “We’ve got something to prove and that’s when our team steps up.”

So does their defensive leader.

Curtis made his first game-day visit to The Coliseum last month during Many’s bye week. He has a few big games on deck this high school football season and is ecstatic about continuing that trend out West at USC.

“That experience was awesome,” Curtis told On3, “It was kind of like seeing my future, what I’d be doing in the future, and it makes me excited to get out there and more motivated to work hard and know what I’m working for.”

“When I went out there and watched the Arizona State game, I was envisioning myself making plays in that stadium,” he added. “I can really do this. It feels like the perfect fit. There’s no distractions in this place. This is the place I need to be and I can see myself making plays out there.”

Curtis is the No. 113 player in the country and the No. 6 overall player in Louisiana for 2023, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.