A former five-star recruit and son of ex-Patriots lineman Todd Rucci, Nolan Rucci finally found a starting role at Penn State after three buried seasons at Wisconsin.
Nolan Rucci arrived in college football as the No. 5 offensive tackle recruit in the nation, but three years at Wisconsin yielded just six game appearances before a transfer to Penn State unlocked his career. The 6-foot-8, 305-pound tackle went undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft and signed with the Indianapolis Colts, betting his rare size and athleticism can develop into a legitimate NFL tackle.
Path to the league
Rucci, out of Lititz, Pennsylvania, was a five-star recruit in the 2021 class and the son of Todd Rucci, a second-round pick out of Penn State who played for the New England Patriots. He signed with Wisconsin but appeared in only six games and logged roughly 70 snaps across three seasons there before transferring to Penn State in January 2024.
Career highlights
At Penn State, Rucci finally earned significant playing time, appearing in all 16 games and starting six as a junior before winning the starting right tackle job as a senior. His combination of elite size, athleticism and pass-protection upside drew praise from NFL evaluators, even after going undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft.
2025 season recap
In his senior season at Penn State in 2025, Rucci started all 12 games at right tackle, capping a career arc that saw him go from a buried reserve at Wisconsin to a full-time starter. He went undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft and signed with the Indianapolis Colts shortly after.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Nolan Rucci
- Nittany Sports Now: Penn State Football: Nolan Rucci Signs With The Colts
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Offensive Tackle
- Group
- offense
- College
- Penn State
- Hometown
- Lititz, PA, USA
- Age
- 24
- Status
- active
