One former Wisconsin transfer set to play in College Football Playoff Quarterfinal

One former Wisconsin transfer set to play in College Football Playoff Quarterfinal

One former Wisconsin Badger is set to suit up in the 2024 College Football Playoff Quarterfinal: Penn State offensive tackle Nolan Rucci.

He and the No. 6-seed Nittany Lions will face No. 3 Boise State in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 31. The team advanced to the quarterfinal after a 38-10 first-round blowout win over No. 11 SMU.

Related: Ranking Wisconsin football’s transfer portal class by projected 2025 impact

Rucci starred in that contest, finishing as ProFootballFocus’ highest-graded offensive lineman from the first round (76.6). He started at right tackle in place of starter Anthony Donkoh, who suffered a season-ending injury in the Nittany Lions’ Week 13 win over Minnesota.

The former top recruit helped Penn State to 325 total yards of offense, 189 rushing yards and a 4.7 yards-per-carry clip. He and the offense weren’t tasked with deciding the contest, however, as the Penn State defense built an early 14-0 lead with two pick-sixes. That margin only grew as the game continued.

Rucci and a dangerous Penn State team now travel to Glendale, Arizona for a Fiesta Bowl matchup against a Boise State team that earned a first-round bye after winning the Mountain West.

The Broncos enter the contest with ESPN SP+’s No. 47-ranked defense, a matchup advantage that Rucci and the Penn State offense should be able to exploit.

Rucci’s emergence as a top tackle is a significant development after an up-and-down career. He originally joined Wisconsin as a five-star recruit in the class of 2021, ranked as the No. 1 player from Pennsylvania and the No. 17 overall player in the class. He then spent several years backing up multi-year starters Jack Nelson and Riley Mahlman before transferring out after the 2023 campaign.

The former top recruit began 2024 in the same position. But Rucci received significant starting reps throughout the year as the starter Donkoh, a redshirt freshman, battled various injuries. Those opportunities then led to strong play as Penn State’s full-time starting right tackle in its Week 14 win over Maryland, narrow Big Ten title game loss to Oregon and CFP First Round win over SMU.

Rucci and the Nittany Lions will take the field against Boise State at 7:30 p.m. ET, 6:30 p.m. CT on Dec. 31. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.

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