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Nolan Rucci Transferring From Wisconsin to Penn State

The offensive lineman was Pennsylvania's top-ranked prospect of the 2021 recruiting class.

Mark Wogenrich

Nolan Rucci Transferring From Wisconsin to Penn State
Nolan Rucci Transferring From Wisconsin to Penn State /
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Penn State coach James Franklin missed on two top-ranked Pennsylvania football recruits over the past few years. Now, he's getting them back from the transfer portal.

Nolan Rucci, the No. 1 Pennsylvania prospect of the 2021 recruiting class according to 247Sports, announced Saturday that he will transfer to Penn State. Rucci spent the past three seasons at Wisconsin, where he signed as a 5-star prospect and the nation's No. 5 offensive tackle according to 247Sports. Rucci joins former Ohio State receiver Julian Fleming, the No. 1 Pennsylvania recruit of the 2020 class, in returning to his home state for a fresh start.

Rucci, who has two seasons of eligibility remaining, committed to Wisconsin in part to play with older brother Hayden, a tight end who declared for the 2024 NFL Draft in December. The brothers have a strong Penn State connection. Their parents, Todd and Stacy, were among the campus' better-known athletes of the early 1990s. Todd was an offensive lineman for the Penn State football team, and Stacy was an All-America field hockey player.

At Wisconsin, Nolan Rucci redshirted in 2021 and played limited snaps over the past two seasons. He played in three games in each season and saw snaps at left tackle in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Jan. 1. He even caught a touchdown pass against Illinois. Rucci (6-8, 300 pounds) will compete for the starting left tackle position following the departure of Olu Fashanu.

For Rucci (a Warwick High graduate) and Fleming (Southern Columbia), the 2024 season will represent a unique opportunity to become stars close to home. They had long-standing relationships with Franklin that helped speed the process of coming to Penn State. Rucci entered the portal Thursday and committed to Penn State two days later.

Penn State's 2024 roster will include the top-ranked players from Pennsylvania for the last five recruiting classes. The Lions signed running back Quinton Martin in their 2024 recruiting class, tackle J'ven Williams in 2023 and running back Nicholas Singleton in 2022. 

"I believe the best players in the region should come to Penn State," Franklin said on Signing Day in December. "I'm biased but I think we're the best option in terms of combination of school and football and being able to compete at the very highest level. We are the best option within the footprint, and that's no disrespect to any other program. But I believe that and I feel that way."

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AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button's on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.

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Mark Wogenrich
MARK WOGENRICH

Mark Wogenrich is Editor and Publisher of AllPennState, the site for Penn State news on SI's FanNation Network. He has covered Penn State sports for more than two decades across three coaching staffs and three Rose Bowls.

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