Penn State has returned one of its top offensive linemen to the practice field. Nolan Rucci started the final six games of last season at right tackle and entered the offseason with a golden opportunity to reclaim his post. That was before an injury left him sidelined for the majority of the spring prior to his return to light action on Wednesday.
It’s a promising sign for the Nittany Lions, given the absence of Anthony Donkoh, who won the right tackle job out of camp last August before a season-ending injury sent Rucci in his place. Rucci wasn’t a full participant on Wednesday, watching from the side as his teammates worked with the sleigh. But he was in the mix here and there, doing just about all he could to ease his way back.
“He doesn’t really have anything significant. He’s just had something that’s been nagging him for a while,” James Franklin said after practice on Wednesday. “Obviously, we would love to have him for spring ball, but that hasn’t happened. It’s gonna be really important that he has a really strong summer. But he was able to get some individual work today.”
Penn State entered the winter with an offensive line full of depth. And while that’s still mostly the case, Donkoh’s injury and JB Nelson’s decision to enter the transfer portal last week has thinned what is expected to be one of the nation’s top lines next season. These developments have only amplified the significance of Rucci’s health and overall presence.
It was redshirt sophomore Jven Williams, a former five-star with limited game experience, who filled Rucci’s shoes at right tackle during his spring absence. Franklin said earlier this month that with the way Williams has performed this offseason, he too is “going to end up being a part” of the right tackle competition.
Others, like freshmen Owen Aliciene and Michael Troutman have increased their workloads, a silver lining in light of Rucci’s injury.
“So, you hate to see those guys miss the reps,” Franklin said, “but it is a blessing in disguise for the other guys that got a ton of reps in practice, Jven and Aliciene and those types of guys.”
INJURED RUNNING BACK RETURNS
Cam Wallace had much going for him at the start of last season. He won the third-string running back job behind Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen out of fall camp. He appeared in the first three games to start his redshirt freshman year, scoring his first-career touchdown against Kent State on Sept. 21. But then, shortly after, Wallace’s season came to an end.
It was against the Golden Flashes, when Wallace had rushed nine times for 39 yards, that he sustained a significant, season-ending injury. That was the last the general public had seen of him on the field until Wednesday, when he returned to the turf as a practice participant, once again vying for the backup role he left behind.
“In a good position now. He was able to do some individuals today and in the last practice, as well,” Franklin said. “As you guys can imagine, with a significant injury like he had, there’s a physical component to it, there’s a mental component to it and there’s an emotional component to it. So, I think he’s in a good place.”
Wallace’s charge for that prominent role, one that could lead its way to a promotion following the departures of Singleton and Allen after this season, won’t come without a contest. Quinton Martin Jr. and Corey Smith, who took over in his place as true freshmen last season, are competing for it. So is early-enrollee freshman Tikey Hayes, who Franklin said “has flashed.”
By the summer, Wallace should be in a “really good position,” Franklin said. That’s when the competition among Wallace, Martin, Smith and Hayes will truly begin.
“He’s right about where he should be,” Franklin said.
