Wisconsin TE Hayden Rucci declares for 2024 NFL Draft, will play in bowl game

Wisconsin tight end Hayden Rucci has officially declared for the 2024 NFL Draft, but will still be playing in the Badgers’ ReliaQuest Bowl matchup against LSU on New Year’s Day.

Rucci declares for the draft following five seasons with Wisconsin, signing with the Badgers as a part of their 2019 recruiting class. He played played high school football at Warwick High School in Lititz, Pennsylvania where he was a three-star prospect, ranked No. 499 overall recruit and the No. 22 tight end in the 2019 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

After redshirting his freshman season, Rucci made six game appearances in the shortened 2020 season followed by six more game appearances in 2021 before an injury put an end to his season. He’d go on to take a leap in his final two seasons for the Badgers, appearing in 22 games where he recorded 16 receptions for 187 yards and one score.

Rucci will have one final game in his college career to add to his stat line before hanging it up for the Badgers. He was a four-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and will be following in the footsteps of his father Todd Rucci, a second-round pick in the 1993 NFL Draft out of Penn State who played for eight seasons with the New England Patriots.

More on the 2024 NFL Draft

The 2024 NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Michigan, with the first round on Thursday, April 25, the second and third rounds on Friday, April 26, and the fourth through seventh rounds on Saturday, April 27.

Players will have the opportunity to solidify their draft stock at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, to be held in Indianapolis, Indiana from February 26 through March 4.

The three-day event will be broadcasted throughout the weekend on ESPN and NFL Network.

To be eligible for the NFL Draft, players must be at least three years removed from their final year of high school while having used up their collegiate eligibility. Underclassmen are able to request league approval to become eligible for the draft, as are players who have graduated prior to using up all of their collegiate eligibility.

Last season, 69 players were granted special eligibility for the 2023 NFL Draft. 13 underclassmen who had completed their college degrees were also deemed eligible to be selected.

The deadline to declare for the 2024 NFL Draft is on January 15. NFL teams will receive a full list of eligible players in the class on January 19.