Elite offensive tackle, Nolan Rucci, breaks down Tennessee visit that 'piqued his interest'
Tennessee got its first crack at five-star offensive tackle Nolan Rucci on Sunday, and the Vols now have the attention of the elite offensive lineman. The 6'8, 290lbs offensive tackle from Warwick (PA) breaks down his enjoyable weekend on Rocky Top here.
Rucci came into this visit with an open mind, and he said, " it was an interesting experience to get a lay of the land as we were driving through the mountains and backroads. It was a pretty beautiful drive, great weather during the visit, it was sunny and warm."
Rucci continued, "We got in around 9 AM and did a quick tour of the academic facilities, and talked to some of the advisors, and actually a student in the college of engineering. That is what I am interested in majoring in, so that was cool talking to someone that was in that major, and I was very surprised and impressed by the academic side of Tennessee."
Rucci specifically wants to major in Aerospace engineering. He said, " I have always watched the science channel and how the universe works, so I have always been interested in that, and it is a big passion of mine. Getting to do that in college and play football at the same time would be pretty special."
Rucci got an opportunity to spend one on one time with the coaching staff during his Sunday visit, as he said, " I was very pleased with how accommodating they were for us on a Sunday when they didn't have to be there. I appreciate the one on one time we got to have. Junior days are cool because you get to see some of the program and do photoshoots, but I like getting one on one time with the coaches, sitting down and talking ball, and going over X's and O's, and seeing their philosophies and how they work their guys. Just coming in today, it was pretty cool getting that one on one time with coach Friend and Pruitt. We sat down for probably close to an hour, my family and I, and just talked about the recruiting process and how small the football world is, all the people we've met along the way. It was really cool just getting to sit down with a really down to earth coach and hash it out. Overall, it was really cool."
Tennessee has not been a stranger in Rucci's recruitment before this visit, as he said, " I would say they are in contact probably on a weekly basis, just talking with coach Friend. We got a chance to get on the phone earlier in the month, and then coach Osovet was through my school two months ago before that February dead period. That made the decision to come to check the place out a lot easier with just seeing how much interest they have."
Rucci is aware of the opportunity that Tennessee offers, and how important of a position offensive tackle is in this class for the Vols. He said, "obviously, the program is on the come up right now and they are looking forward to doing great things and making it an attractive place to walk into where you have a chance to get some early playing time compared to some other spots. I think I would probably fit in pretty well there after sitting down with coach Friend and the technique he teaches is kind of similar to the technique I know from my high school and my dad. I am very fortunate to have my dad, he played in the league for a little bit, and I am able to get that secondhand experience from what he knows. It has just reinforced the process of going around the nation and talking to offensive line coaches and seeing some of the same stuff and terminology. You see a lot of the same stuff, and everybody is on the same page, but at the end of the day, it comes down to preference."
Rucci added, " I really like what coach Friend is doing with their O-line room."
Rucci's father, Todd, played his college ball at Penn State, and he spent his NFL career with the New England Patriots in the 90's.
Rucci holds more than 25 offers, but he has yet to release a list of top schools. He did mention that he has a plan in place to start narrowing things down. He said, "at this point, I am kind of in the information gathering process and trying to get out to as many schools as I can. The more information you know, the easier it is to make a decision. At this point, I am trying to get my official visits in this spring, and hopefully, get out a list in June, and probably make a decision in early July."
The big question for the Vols is can they get the Pennsylvania prospect back on campus another time to factor into his decision. Rucci said, "they definitely piqued my interest, that's for sure. I am still trying to figure things out schedule-wise, but that is definitely a spot I would like to get back down to and learn a little more. I think the next step in the process, is because I got to spend time with the coaches, is getting around the players, and maybe watching practice to see how coach Friend interacts with his guys, and that dynamic. Every place is different, and every coach has different techniques, so seeing that process would be interesting for me."
Rucci is the number 14 prospect in all of America, the number 2 OT, and the Number one prospect from Pennsylvania, according to 247 Sports. When asked what makes him so special, he said, "I have measurables, at least that is what people are telling me. I would say my work ethic and ability in the classroom, it is hard to find guys that have athletic ability and are not only willing to put in work in the class, but on the practice field as well. I think that has been a big part of my recruitment process, just being a guy who is willing to put in the work.
featured image via pennlive.com