The Wisconsin football program will begin spring practice Tuesday, March 30.
The date turns the page to the 2021 football season, the team beginning offseason work without departed seniors and with some early enrollees in the incoming recruiting class.
During this time last year, college sports were all on hold, a pause that showed during Wisconsin’s 2020 campaign. A full offseason is critical to the success of this program, especially with an underclassman in Graham Mertz under center, and Tuesday marks the real start of that offseason process.
In light of spring practices beginning across the country, ESPN put together the commits with the most potential from its top 25 teams in the 2021 recruiting class.
At No. 16: Wisconsin signee Nolan Rucci.
Here’s what the ESPN piece had to say:
“Big, hulking offensive linemen are synonymous with Wisconsin, right? The Badgers signed three ESPN 300 offensive linemen in the 2021 class, and Rucci was ranked the highest at No. 36 overall. He’s a 6-foot-7, 290-pound tackle out of Lititz, Pennsylvania, and fits exactly the mold of what a Wisconsin offensive lineman looks like. He had some of the biggest programs in the country after him, and while he has some things to polish up early on in his college career, he has a chance to continue the success Wisconsin has seen along the line throughout his career.
Scouting report: Rucci brings a lot of the physical tools to develop into an outstanding college tackle. He’s tall, he possesses ideal length and is also a flexible big man that can play with leverage. He is effective with his hands with good feet and toughness. With his big frame, Rucci still has nice upside with room to physically develop and should benefit from time in the Badgers’ weight program. — Haubert”
With former five-star OT Logan Brown set to battle for a job this year and Rucci about to enter the program, Wisconsin’s future at tackle looks about as bright as it ever has.
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