2021 OT Nolan Rucci signs with Wisconsin

In what is surely a shock to everyone reading this article, the Wisconsin Badgers’ highest ranked recruit in the 2021 class is an offensive tackle. Nolan Rucci, the 5-star recruit from Warwick High School in Lititz, Pa. joins his older brother, Hayden, in Madison to bolster an offensive line unit that has loaded up on highly touted people movers over the past few recruiting classes.

Rucci, a mountain masquerading as a man at 6-foot-8 and 295 pounds, is the prototypical build for an offensive tackle. Despite weighting nearly 300 pounds, he’s still filling out his frame, and is, I use this term loosely to describe a man of his size, slight. He’ll continue to get thicker and will benefit from time in the UW weight room with strength coach Ross Kolodziej.

Rucci will slot in at one of the tackle spots and look to work his way into the two deep, which currently is looking like Logan Brown at left tackle and Tyler Beach at right tackle with Jack Nelson as the top reserve.

Rankings

247 Composite: 5 stars; grade: .9911; No. 15 player in the nation; No. 5 OT; No. 1 PA

247 Sports: 5 stars; grade: 97; No. 16 player in the nation; No. 5 OT; No. 1 PA

Rivals: 5 stars; 6.1 rating; No. 26 player in the nation; No. 7 OT; No. 1 PA

ESPN: 4 stars; Grade: 87; No. 7 OT; No. 7 Regional; No. 4 PA

Verbally committed on September 8, 2020

The Badgers had recruited Rucci since he was 14 years old when he would come visit campus with older brother Hayden during his recruitment, which no doubt helped Wisconsin fight off the blue bloods of college football for Rucci’s services. Rucci was a huge win for the Badgers on the recruiting trail, catapulting them to their highest recruiting class rank in the internet rankings era.

Rucci held just under 30 scholarship offers when he chose Wisconsin over other offers from Alabama, Arizona State, Clemson, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Maryland, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Stanford, Syracuse, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Washington and West Virginia.

One of three offensive tackles added in this class, Rucci is likely the left tackle of the future for the Badgers, and could slot in behind Logan Brown at left tackle next year.

Video highlights

Player bio (courtesy of UW Athletic Department)

• Five-star recruit by 247 Sports and Rivals, four-star by ESPN
• Invited to the 2021 All-American Bowl
• First-team all-state as a junior and senior
• Named first-team All-Pennsylvania by PennLive as a senior
• Named to the 2020 USA Today All-USA preseason first team