NCAA Transfer Portal: Penn State Football Adds OT Nolan Rucci

The Nittany Lions are heating up in the transfer portal.

It was just a few days ago the team received a commitment from WR Julian Fleming.

On Saturday, just a few days after he himself entered the portal, OT Nolan Rucci has committed to Penn State.

#WeAre Home. pic.twitter.com/ZClxPmGYNT

— Nolan Rucci (@nolanrucci) January 6, 2024

Rucci is a former five-star recruit from Lilitz, PA. His parents are season ticket holders for Penn State football and his dad was a letterman with the team.

Rucci’s brother, however, did not receive a scholarship offer to play tight end for Penn State and went to Wisconsin, where Nolan wound up committing. He played in only three games after redshirting two seasons ago and seemed poised to be a starter for the Badgers in 2024.

His brother has declared for the draft, however, and it seems that led to a swift transfer for Nolan to Penn State.

He will provide excellent depth to a team that is losing both of their starting tackles to the draft but shows quite a few promising prospects on the offensive line.

Along with Julian Fleming, the pair make it that both of the biggest recruiting misses over the past few years of missing out on five-star players from PA have committed to spend the 2024 season (and perhaps longer for Rucci) at Penn State.

The Nittany Lions have also hosted former top-50 player CB Tony Grimes, while CB A.J. Harris, a former five-star recruit and the second rated CB in the portal, is being projected to join the team already.

Penn State has also been reaching out to other receivers in the portal to bring them in along with Fleming.