Penn State football added a familiar face to its offensive line on Saturday as offensive tackle Nolan Rucci announced his commitment to the Nittany Lions. Rucci, heads to State College by way of Wisconsin with two years of eligibility remaining.
Rucci, from Warwick High School in Lititz, was the No. 1 overall prospect in Pennsylvania for the 2021 class and was a priority target for Penn State at the time.
He spent the past three seasons in a depth role for the Badgers. After redshirting in 2021, Rucci played in three games in 2022 and three in 2023, including in the ReliaQuest Bowl against LSU. He also caught the go-ahead touchdown pass in Wisconsin’s win against Illinois in October.
His brother Hayden recently declared for the NFL Draft as tight end. Their father, Todd Rucci, was an offensive lineman at Penn State from 1988 to 1992 and won a Super Bowl during his eight seasons in the NFL with the New England Patriots. Their mother, Stacy (Gilburg) Rucci, was an All-American field hockey player at Penn State.
The news is welcome for Penn State no matter how much Rucci ends up contributing. The Nittany Lions are expected to lose nearly all of the 2023 starting offensive front including projected first-round draft choice Olu Fashanu. Rucci joins four-star wide receiver Julian Fleming, kicker Chase Meyer and a former Wisconsin teammate, edge rusher Jordan Mayer, in transferring to the Nittany Lions.
On the recruiting front, Rucci’s transfer marks the second former No. 1 overall prospect in the state of PA to eventually end up at Penn State, joining Fleming who held that honor for the 2020 class as a wide receiver. Fleming joins Penn State from Ohio State with one year of eligibility remaining.
