Nolan Rucci may have taken the long way home — three football seasons in Madison, Wisc.— but now he’s in Happy Valley, where both of his folks made big names for themselves as Penn State athletes in the early 1990s.
It is only 124 miles from Grosh Field, home of Rucci’s Warwick High School football stadium in Lititz where he was the No. 1 recruit in the state, to Beaver Stadium. So, Camp Randall was a helluva detour. And Rucci’s last stop was actually Tampa, Fla.
That’s where the Badgers faced LSU in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Jan. 1, in a 35-31 loss. Wisconsin starting left tackle Jack Nelson rolled his left ankle in that contest. So, Rucci — a redshirt sophomore — played almost the entire second half after Nelson went down. It was the longest playing appearance in Rucci’s three seasons with the Badgers and also his last game wearing the red and white.
Afterwards, he entered the transfer portal and quickly came out on the other side in University Park — in time to start Penn State classes on Monday, Jan. 8. The Nittany Lions welcomed him with open arms.
“I felt nothing but love from these guys,” said Rucci, after the Nittany Lions’ ninth practice of the spring on Tuesday. “Especially just coming in, those first few weeks, I had a lot to figure out, as far as where I was going to live, where I was driving, stuff like that. The guys have been awesome.”
Meanwhile, Rucci’s brother Hayden — a fifth-year senior tight end for Wisconsin in 2023 — eschewed a final year of eligibility and declared for the NFL Draft.
At Penn State, starting offensive tackles Olu Fashanu and Caedan Wallace also declared for the draft. The timing was right for Nolan. James Franklin & Co. were thrilled.
“At the end of my recruiting process” — in high school, when he picked Wisconsin — “the coaches here were still cordial,” 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 with the recruiting. Really appreciated that.”
That open door, his lifetime familiarity with Penn State, and the coaching acumen of PSU O-line coach Phil Trautwein all figured in his decision to become a Nittany Lion. At last.
“I really like the coaching style Coach Traut uses,” Rucci said. “I love that he’s a huge technician. And he’s really hands-on with his guys, which I really appreciate. I thought it was a good opportunity for me to learn as well.”
HOME SCHOOLED FOR FOOTBALL
Rucci also gets plenty of coaching at home. Father Todd has major football chops. He was a standout offensive lineman at Penn State and was picked in the second round (51st overall) by the New England Patriots in 1993. The elder Rucci played for the Patriots for eight seasons and made it to one Super Bowl. He was a first-team selection for the Pats’ All-1990s team.
His mother, Stacy Gilburg Rucci, was a first team All-American while playing field hockey for Penn State, and helped lead PSU to back-to-back final fours in 1990-91. She spent time as a coach as well, at Stanford, Duke and Elizabethtown College.
They reside in Lititz, a quick hop to State College. And they can do it in less than a tank of gas.
“They only have a two-hour drive vs. a 14 [to Wisconsin],” Nolan said. “They can get here and I can get home on the weekends, too. On Easter I was able to get home to see my grandparents. Having those kinds of opportunities has been awesome. Having that connection here, I know my parents love and appreciate, so I’m sure I’m making them happy.”
Todd was an assistant coach when Nolan was in high school, and continues to be an asset in his development.
“Just last weekend I was home with him and we went over film from practice,” Nolan said. “He has a lot of really good tips and pointers for me, especially in my pass sets and stuff. Just having that wealth of knowledge at home and having a guy like that, as well as [him being] my high school coach throughout the years has been infinitely helpful for me.
“I’ve seen some Super Bowl highlights and some lowlights. He’s an awesome guy and I’ve been really happy to have him as a resource.”
It was a weighty decision when Nolan picked Wisconsin over Penn State, in part to be with his brother Hayden. Now that he’s at his parents’ alma mater, it’s a weighty matter another way: Nolan, who is 6-foot-8, arrived at Penn State at 300 pounds. He now weighs 315, and hopes to be playing this fall at 320.
Franklin is eating up that Rucci is now a Nittany Lion. Even though it took awhile.
“He’s been great,” Franklin said. “We’ve known him and the family for a very long time. 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. From my understanding, our guys love him. He’s fit in really well in the room. I think he’s really been excited about the development that he’s gotten so far in a brief period of time.”
