2024 Trib HSSN Preseason Football All-Star Team: Alex Tatsch of Latrobe

By means of: Bill Beckner Jr.

Friday, July 19, 2024 | 00:01

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Alex Tatsch actually has more stars in his recruiting rating (four) than he has in years of high school football.

The Latrobe linebacker played little as a freshman and didn’t catch the attention of major college coaches until he was a sophomore.

“He was 5-10 when he was in ninth grade,” Wildcats coach Ron Prady said. “Nobody knew anything about him. He really grew and worked on his game. Now he’s 6-3 and a lot of people know who he is.”

Tatsch is a relentless linebacker and the first Power Five player to leave Latrobe in two decades.

The Penn State player is looking to lead a Wildcats team that has found its balance and is ready to compete for more than its third straight WPIAL playoff berth.

“Last year, more people came to our games,” Tatsch said. “It seems like there were a lot less people when I was a freshman, until now.”

After playoff victories in each of the last two seasons, Latrobe is now looking to achieve that much or more in a single season.

The Wildcats finished 8-4 and handed eventual champion Aliquippa a close quarterfinal match, 37-29, to come back from a 25-7 halftime deficit.

“Aliquippa couldn’t stop him,” Prady said of Tatsch.

Tatsch flew several big-name coaches to Latrobe to meet with him, including Penn State’s James Franklin and USC’s Lincoln Riley. He received 21 Division I offers in total and chose the Nittany Lions in February.

“He’s got that switch,” Prady said. “When he turns it on, it’s time to go after it.”

A switch…and a vibration?

“There’s not a lot of guys that are 6-foot-1, 200 pounds that have that nervousness. He has that,” Prady said. “Rodney Gallagher and Devin Whitlock were guys that had that. It’s rare.”

The ‘nervous’ or ‘restless’ feeling comes from accelerated lower body movements, allowing Tatsch to hit the ball carriers with full body force.

“He’s so explosive,” Prady said. “It’s his hips and how he can move his lower body. That’s God-given.”

His east-west ability to cover ground allows him to get to rushers and close in on receivers. Watch Tatsch’s film and his speed and thunderous hits stand out.

“He can play in the box or in space,” Prady said. “He can also play the pass.”

Tatsch could carry the ball more often as a running back this fall, though the Wildcats have several options, including senior quarterback John Wetzel, himself a DI player since committing to Marshall.

“I want to have a big year offensively,” Tatsch said. “I couldn’t run as much as I wanted last year.”

Tatsch ran for 400 yards and six touchdowns in about 60 carries last season. He underwent surgery in December to repair a torn labrum and missed the basketball season, but he’s ready to make a comeback.

“This is the best I’ve ever felt,” he said.

Tatsch, who trains regularly at FSQ Sports Training in Trafford, follows a strict regime.

“He’s working out and eating right,” Prady said. “When some of the kids are playing video games at home, he’s working out. He’s doing his best. He told me he wanted to get his body fat down so he could be in top shape.”

That could mean his tackle totals go up. Last season he had 111, with four sacks and four interceptions.

Prady said his aggressive pass rusher has a soft side.

“It’s a combination of things,” the coach said. “Not everybody is 6-foot-3 … and trains like him. His mission is to maximize everything he’s been given. He’s done that. You won’t find a more humble kid. He’s kind and polite to others. He’s got that mix of talent and humility. Just a great kid.”

Tatsch’s attention was drawn by an upgrade to Class 5A.

“One thing,” he said. “There are no weeks where we can take it easy.”

Alex Tatsch

Latrobe

Senior

1.91 meters/100 kilos

RB/LB

Stars: 4

Determined: Penn State

Other Division I offers: Notre Dame, Pitt, West Virginia, USC, Michigan State, Stanford, Maryland, Virginia Tech, Marshall, Boston College, Virginia, Temple, Akron, Kentucky, Syracuse, South Carolina, Duke, Cincinnati, Liberty and Connecticut.

Statistics 2023: 111 tackles, four sacks, four interceptions… 600 yards rushing, 6 TDs

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at [email protected].

Keywords: Latrobe