Max Tucker Eager to Lead Younger DBs in Junior Year for Boston College Football

Ever since Max Tucker began his career at BC two seasons ago, he has backed up the vocal personality he displays in practice with tangible success on gameday.

Nov 30, 2024; Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers wide receiver Konata Mumpfield (9) runs against Boston College Eagles defensive back Max Tucker (13) during the first half at Alumni Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

It wasn’t long ago that Max Tucker arrived in Chestnut Hill, Mass. for his first Boston College football training camp back when Jeff Hafley coached the Eagles—only two summers prior to 2025, to be exact.

A wiry, undersized Catholic Memorial product out of Hyde Park, Mass., Tucker has never been afraid to let BC’s wide receivers hear it if he made a successful read on the ball or stuck with his assignment in man-to-man coverage.

Tucker’s trash-talking persona on the field is representative of his habitual mindset. Since his first week on the Heights, he has treated every day of practice like it is a game.

“I’m getting ready for the game,” Tucker said. “I'm just trying to mentally prepare, because during camp, the offense is the opponent, basically. So you got to go out there, [and] coach Cory Robinson says [to] treat every practice like it's gameday.”

Now in a position to be one of the core pieces for a ferocious BC secondary, coming off a season in which the Eagles ranked second in the Atlantic Coast Conference in interceptions (17), Tucker deemed himself responsible for leading the younger pack by setting this constant example.

"I feel like it's a lot of young guys in this group I take care of and make sure everything's all right with them,” Tucker said. "I'm in their ear telling them [to] stay in the playbook. Meet with coach, [or] meet with me if you need to. So I'm just trying to be that mentor, because I was that young guy once as well."

Tucker takes pride in the fact that he is from the same state as his current team. Tucker’s offer from Boston College was the only ACC offer he received coming out of high school—and one of the only Power-Four offers he received at all—but he wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

BC, just like Hyde Park, is home for Tucker, and he reminds himself of the people that are relying on him to put Massachusetts football on the map, hopefully at the professional level someday.

CB Max Tucker on keeping his grind up through the midway point of camp:

“Just gotta find that inner fire inside of you to keep going every day, no matter how tired you get, no matter how hard the days are. … I'm thinking about ACC championship, thinking about more than 7 wins.” pic.twitter.com/YJDAyHikge

— Graham Dietz (@graham_dietz) August 14, 2025

“Succeeding here motivates me a lot, because I know I have a lot of people back home, family, school, a lot of people depending on me, looking up to me, also looking up to the team,” Tucker said. “So as well as Boston College can do, that’s as much as I could go up. Team goes up, that means I go up.”

Two players Tucker keeps in the back of his mind are currently seniors at Catholic Memorial, defensive lineman Mac Fitzgerald—the son of BC strength and conditioning coach Craig Fitzgerald—and offensive tackle Marcelino Antunes Jr.

Both Fitzgerald (6-foot-4, 275 lbs.) and Antunes (6-foot-7, 285 lbs.) are three-star prospects, according to 247Sports, and he is hoping to take them under his wing if he remains at BC for a fourth—and final—year.

After appearing in 10 games as a true freshman, Tucker was bumped into a starting role for the Eagles in 2024. In 12 starts, the 5-foot-11, 187-pound corner registered 30 tackles, two interceptions, and two pass break-ups.

One of the interceptions Tucker recorded last season turned into a 58-yard return to set up a seven-yard touchdown drive against No. 10 Florida State. BC ensuingly captured the upset victory in Tallahassee, Fla. against the reigning ACC champions, and Tucker’s pick marked a crucial turning point in the game.

Tucker got a taste of success in 2024—during BC head coach Bill O’Brien’s first year at the helm—as the Eagles captured seven wins in the regular season to reach a bowl game for the first time since 2022.

But the fire in Tucker is still in the process of kindling, and it's ready to shoot out a flame once the 2025 campaign gets underway.

“[You] just gotta find that inner fire inside of you to keep going every day, no matter how tired you get, no matter how hard the days are,” Tucker said. “'m thinking about [winning an] ACC championship. I’m thinking about more than seven wins.”