Lineman Nolan Rucci Turns Toward a Fresh Start at Penn State

After transferring from Wisconsin, the 6-8 tackle is competing for a starting spot on the Nittany Lions' offensive line.

Penn State offensive lineman answers questions during a post-practice media session at Holuba Hall in State College. / Max Ralph/AllPennState

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. | Nolan Rucci had to wait a few minutes longer for his re-introduction to the Penn State faithful. After wide receiver Julian Fleming commanded the floor for a 10-minute media session at Holuba Hall, Rucci walked up from the Lasch Football Building to address the media for the first time as a Nittany Lion.

Though Fleming has garnered more headlines this offseason, Rucci was a similar splash for Penn State coach James Franklin out of the NCAA Transfer Portal. The No. 1 Pennsylvania high school prospect, and No. 5 offensive tackle in the country, of the 2021 recruiting class played three seasons at Wisconsin before transferring to Penn State, from which his parents graduated.

“I think at the end of the day, when I was going through my recruiting process, it kind of came down between here and Wisconsin. At that time, there were just a few more things on the pros and cons sheet that Wisconsin out-balanced,” Rucci said. “I really enjoyed my three years at Wisconsin, and I love the guys and the staff, but at that point, I just felt like it was a great opportunity for me to move on and have some greener pastures, have a better opportunity to get on the field.”

Rucci said Penn State offensive line coach Phil Trautwein’s style as a hands-on, technical teacher influenced his decision to transfer. Standing every bit of 6-8, Rucci has been given a significant chance to compete for the starting spot at right tackle, though he also is playing left tackle in spring drills.

Gaining and maintaining weight contributed to Rucci making just six appearances at Wisconsin, but he is already up 15 pounds to 315 this spring, with his eyes set on 320. Rucci offered a thoughtful self-scout of improvements he needs to make to win a starting job on Penn State’s offensive line.

“In the run game, my second step coming off the ball just needs to be a little bit quicker, putting that down and reacting to whether the defensive end is spiking inside or looping around. Just reaction to the defense,” Rucci said. “And then on pass protection, just sitting back and getting my head back, pretending like I don't have a helmet on and making sure I'm keeping my head out from the punch. And really delivering some force.”

RELATED: Julian Fleming talks Ohio State transfer, feeling healthy and needing one more year of college football

Rucci, who attended Warwick High near Harrisburg, and his parents have appreciated shortening the drive home to just two hours from the 14 to Wisconsin. He has made it home on the weekends to see family, while the family has been up to see practices, which are pitting Rucci in a “pretty heated battle” at that right tackle spot. Franklin said he expects Rucci to be a major factor in the competition.

“We've known him in the family for a very long time,” Franklin said. “It's been cool, his mom and dad have been at a ton of practices. As we all know, in terms of athleticism and body type and all those types of things — intelligence — he checks a lot of boxes.”

While Rucci also could play left tackle with Olu Fashanu departing after strong years at Penn State, his best fit on the right side with Drew Shelton on the left. That has been an adjustment, since Rucci has spent most of his career at left tackle. But Rucci said he has slowly become more comfortable with his right hand in the dirt and is switching between positions through spring.

“It's definitely a little bit weirder of a transition than you think going between left and right, especially in the pass sets. Just making sure you're getting those extra reps outside of football, that way when you're in practice, it feels natural,” Rucci said. “I've been doing both left and right during practice recently and felt pretty natural switching between both, it's just the matter of flipping the plays in your head and making sure you're doing the right thing with your footwork.”

Rucci is looking forward to having his parents and the rest of the family in the stands when he finally steps foot in Beaver Stadium this fall, as well as a few high school friends who can more reasonably make the trip. Much like Fleming, there’s no bad blood following his initial decision to choose Wisconsin over Penn State, but it’s another high-profile homecoming worth monitoring through the 2024 campaign.

“I think one of the biggest things, especially at the end of my recruiting process, was just how cordial the coaches were,” Rucci said. “They respected my decision, and I respected theirs. And at the end of the day, when it came around to coming back to this place, they were just as awesome as the first time around in recruiting, and I really appreciated that.”

Max Ralph is a Penn State senior studying Broadcast Journalism with minors in sports studies and Japanese. He previously covered Penn State football for two years with The Daily Collegian and has reported with the Associated Press and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Follow him on Twitter (X) @maxralph_ and Instagram @mralph_59.