Getty NFL prospect Hunter Luepke is drawing comparisons to Buccaneers legend Mike Alstott.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers could turn back the clock this year in more ways than the creamsicle throwback uniforms.
Drafting North Dakota State fullback Hunter Luepke on the final day of the NFL Draft on Saturday, April 29, would do just that. Luepke drew comparisons to former Bucs great and fullback Mike Alstott, who bludgeoned NFL defenses in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Indiana State head coach Curt Mallory, who coached against both players, knows that fact all too well. Mallory coached against Alstott when the former six-time Pro Bowler played at Purdue before the Bucs.
“He could catch the ball, he could play tailback, he could play fullback, Mike did about everything,” Mallory said via The Forum’s Jeff Kolpack. “And that’s what I see with Hunter. They utilize him as a tailback, they utilize him as a fullback and they utilize him as an H-back, using him in many different ways.”
“They even jump into wildcat,” Mallory added. “There’s a reason why he’ll probably be the first fullback taken in the NFL [Draft] and he’s that good, he can do a lot of things for them.”
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Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds sees the same things in Luepke, who rushed for 1,665 yards and 24 touchdowns in his career plus 494 receiving yards for nine touchdowns. Luepke contended for the Walter Payton award, the Heisman Trophy of the FCS, before a shoulder injury sidelined him in November 2022.
“The Bucs will need another running back to round out the depth chart and North Dakota State’s Hunter Luepke would be a great fit for several reasons,” Reynolds wrote. “He’s a bruising runner that resembles former Bucs legend Mike Alstott, in addition to being a capable blocker and a nice receiver out of the backfield.”
“Luepke averaged over six yards per carry and was a third down and goal line specialist as a runner,” Reynolds added. “He also showed the ability to catch screen passes in addition to running wheel routes out of the backfield. Luepke gives maximum effort on every play and has a tremendous work ethic.”
Luepke could solve the short-yardage issues the Bucs faced in 2022 amid a league-worst 76.9 yards per game. The Bucs mustered five rushing touchdowns all season.
Hunter Luepke Fits OC Dave Canales’ Mold
Reynolds noted that Luepke fits new offensive coordinator Dave Canales’ mold — a physical runner and blocker. Canales “could be using a fullback on occasion”, Reynolds wrote.
“At the very least, Luepke could be a special teams starter and flesh out the depth chart as the fourth running back on the roster,” Reynolds added. “But if the Bucs need some hard, tough yards around the goal line or in third-and-short, Luepke can deliver. He’s not ‘The A-Train’ Mike Alstott, but he could be ‘The L-Train’ in Tampa Bay.”
Bucs Can Draft from a Dynasty
Luepke showed how he made the difference on an elite college football team at NDSU — the nine-time FCS champions. The Bison nearly beat national champion South Dakota State in a 23-21 defeat in October 2022 with Luepke in the backfield, but the Bison got embarrassed by the Jackrabbits 45-21 at the FCS Championship Game in January.
Tampa Bay already picked one Bison in the draft with offensive lineman Cody Mauch in the second round on Friday, April 28. Mauch played on two unbeaten national championship teams plus another in 2021.
The Bucs also selected Louisville defensive end YaYa Diaby on Friday in the third round.