Latrobe linebacker Tucker Knupp picks Lehigh

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Friday, February 19, 2021 | 5:18 PM

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Latrobe senior Tucker Knupp will play college football in the Patriot League.

Knupp gave a verbal commitment to Lehigh, a Divison I-FCS program.

Lehigh was his only Division I option, but he also had interest from Carnegie Mellon.

A 6-foot, 220-pound inside linebacker, Knupp was a Class 5A Big East first-team all-conference player. A three-year starter, he also played tight end, where he was an outstanding blocker for the Wildcats.

Last season, Knupp had 52 tackles, seven for loss, six sacks, an interception and a forced fumble. Knupp was a general on the field, making all the defensive calls.

“He is a definite throwback,” Latrobe coach Jason Marucco said. “He is one of the most physical players I have had the opportunity to coach. Combine that with a tremendous work ethic and a willingness to prepare, and you have yourself a football player.”

He had 16 catches for 274 yards and three touchdowns, including a 64-yard catch.

“I chose to go to Lehigh because the coaches were really cool through the whole process, and it seemed like a great fit with football and education,” Knupp said. “They started to recruit me around November of 2020.”

Knupp will join another local product at Lehigh. Freshman lineman Christian Jablonski is a Ligonier Valley graduate.

Lehigh is scheduled to play four games in the spring after last season was wiped out by coronavirus concerns.

Another Latrobe alum, Reed Fenton, is a sophomore basketball player at Lehigh.

Lehigh assistant football coach Anthony DiMichele, a former Sto-Rox standout who played defensive back in the Patriot League at Holy Cross, jokingly hinted that Fenton may have had a hand in getting Knupp to Lehigh — or, that he at least gave the school a nudge to take a look at Knupp.

Knupp said Fenton’s fondness for Lehigh carried over to him.

“I knew that Reed really liked it out there, so I think that had something to do with it,” he said.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Latrobe