Penn State picks up legacy offensive tackle Nolan Rucci out of transfer portal
Penn State continues to add reinforcements in the transfer portal, this time picking up a commitment from a familiar name in offensive tackle Nolan Rucci. A native of Lititz, Pa., Rucci was not only considered a five-star prospect coming out of Warwick High School in 2021, but he’s also the son of Todd and Stacy Rucci, both of whom have deep ties to Penn State.
His father, Todd, played for the Nittany Lions in the early-1990s before playing seven years in the NFL with the New England Patriots, including a Super Bowl appearance in 1997. His mother, Stacy, was an All-American in field hockey at Penn State in 1991.
Coming out of high school, Nolan seriously considered the Nittany Lions, visiting five times in 2018 and 2019. However, with his older brother, Hayden, already enrolled at Wisconsin, the Badgers ultimately won out, with Rucci committing in September 2020.
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Following a redshirt season in 2021, Rucci played sparingly the past two seasons, backing up a few older players with NFL potential. Back on Dec. 30, Wisconsin offensive tackle Jack Nelson announced that he would return to Madison for his senior season. It’s unclear how much that decision impacted Rucci. It should also be noted that Rucci originally committed to play for former Badgers head coach Paul Chryst.
Rucci totaled 70 snaps at offensive tackle during his Wisconsin career, including 35 snaps in Wisconsin’s 35-31 loss to LSU in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Jan. 1. Although the snaps are limited, Pro Football Focus gave him an overall grade of 76.2 in 2023 and 89.0 in 2022.
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His most notable play with the Badgers took place this past October. Down 21-7 entering the fourth quarter, the Badgers cut the lead to 21-18 with about 7 minutes to play. After forcing a stop, Wisconsin went on an 14-play, 83-yard drive that was capped off by Rucci catching the game-winning touchdown pass after lining up as a tight end with just 27 seconds left in the game.
“It’s one of those things where you rep in practice, and [think], ‘Oh, maybe we’ll run that some time towards the later end of the season,” Rucci said when asked about the game-winning catch. “But just to be in that moment, and catch it, it still felt like a dream. Even now, I still can’t believe it.”
When asked to describe the play, Rucci add, “Obviously, part of my job was to just kind of sit there for a few seconds and block and let the receivers drag the corners out. Obviously, I ran up field and as soon as I saw that ball in the air, it just kind of felt like slow-motion. I saw just come right into my hands.”
In addition to Rucci, Penn State head coach James Franklin and his staff have added a few others via the portal so far.
Kicker Chase Meyer committed back on Dec. 17, while wide receiver Julian Fleming announced his decision just a few days ago on Jan. 3. The Nittany Lions also added another former Wisconsin player just yesterday in linebacker/defensive end Jordan Mayer.
