Penn State Football Countdown to Kickoff: No. 72 OT Nolan Rucci

Published Jun 20, 2024

Marty Leap • Happy Valley Insider

Staff Writer

The countdown to kickoff rolls on and today we're down to 72 days until Penn State football returns on August 31 against the West Virginia Mountaineers.

In today's countdown to kickoff profile, Happy Valley Insider highlights No. 72 offensive tackle Nolan Rucci.

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Recruitment & the Portal

Rucci's recruitment is one that most people reading this likely remember well. His father Todd was a letter winner for the Nittany Lions before embarking on a NFL career that saw him land on the New England Patriots all-decade team for the 1990s.

Due to this, many people thought Nolan would be a lock to end up at Penn State. While he eventually ended up a Nittany Lion, it was not the path to Happy Valley that many foresaw for the former five-star recruit.

Early in his recruitment, the younger Rucci frequently visited Penn State. Then the COVID-19 pandemic shut down visits, preventing Rucci from ever visiting Penn State after the calendar flipped to 2020.

Rucci would eventually commit to Wisconsin. After redshirting in 2021, Rucci played in three games each in the 2022 and 2023 seasons. This included extensive playing time against LSU in the Reliaquist Bowl this past season.

Following the bowl game, Rucci entered the transfer portal. Less than 48 hours after entering the transfer portal Rucci had announced his intentions to return home to Pennsylvania to continue his college career at Penn State.

2024 Outlook

It may sound strange for an offensive lineman transferring in from Wisconsin, but Rucci arrived at Penn State in need of adding some weight and size to his frame. He has spent the offseason doing that and is now up 317 pounds.

The tools are there for Rucci to be a very good offensive tackle in the Big Ten. He will enter camp in August battling Drew Shelton and Anthony Donkoh for playing time at the offensive tackle positions. While Shelton and Donkoh will enter fall camp with a leg up in the competition for starting jobs, at worst, Rucci should still be a good rotational piece for the Nittany Lions providing strong depth at tackle spots.