Lucas: Rucci comfortable back in the trenches
November 09, 2022 | Football, Mike Lucas
Junior tight end brings physical mentality to versatile position
BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer
MADISON, Wis. – If Hayden Rucci isn't hanging out with his fellow tight ends or campus roommates, he tends to gravitate to people of like-mind and temperament. Offensive linemen. Younger brother Nolan is in that group. It was also his father's position group as a collegian and professional.
"It's nice to always be around the O-line because that in itself builds bonds off the field and you bring it on the field," Rucci said. "I'll talk to Nellie (Jack Nelson) and Riley (Mahlman) throughout the week on what we're seeing (from the defense) and what we're going to be communicating."
Rucci admitted to looking up – literally – to the 6-7, 310-pound Nelson, the 6-8, 315-pound, Mahlman and his "little brother" who's 6-8, 297. "It's crazy to think," Hayden said, "I'm 6-5, I'm a pretty big guy and then you come into the facility and you're tiny next to these guys. It's humbling."
It's not the first time that he has felt that way physically in the company of Lil' Bro.
"I've kind of gotten used to it living with him for the past 21 years," Hayden said, grinning.
Nolan Rucci, a 5-star prospect and redshirt freshman tackle, is still in a developmental phase.
"His mission right now is to be ready whenever is number is called," Hayden observed. "I've seen him preparing like he's going to be starting even though he's backing up a couple of positions. He has put on size and strength to get ready. I'm excited for him when his opportunity comes."
The Brothers Rucci from Lititz, Pa., can always count on support from their mom Stacy, an All-American field hockey player at Penn State, and their dad, Todd, an O-lineman for Joe Paterno, a second-round draft pick, and eight-year starter (including Super Bowl XXXI) for the New England Patriots.
"Growing up, he was me and Nolan's coach through youth, middle school and high school," Hayden said. "His philosophy was always, 'I'll coach you as hard as I can on the field and once we're off the field, unless you bring it up, we won't talk about it.'
"He definitely tries as hard as he can not to talk about football. I'm always the one who comes to him, 'What do you think I can do better here?' It's awesome to have me and him and Nolan sit down and have a conversation on how it's going – to have that little football circle in our family."
As a result, it's no secret where Hayden Rucci's passion for playing in the trenches comes from. But he's quick to say this about his tight end responsibilities, "I love blocking but half the position is catching as well. I'm trying to get that feel back from high school and translate it into my game."
At Warwick High School, where his father coached the offensive line, Rucci had 30 catches for 645 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior. But he had to wait two years and 12 games for his first reception at Wisconsin. In the 2022 opener, he caught two passes against Illinois State. An ice-breaker.
"Honestly, my first catch was like a burden off my shoulders," he said of a 13-yard completion in the third quarter. He also had a 14-yard reception and two more catches against New Mexico State. "Getting that first one out of the way, the second, third and fourth catches are that much easier.
"I've been looking to diversify my skill set since getting here."
Rucci was kidded that it probably doesn't hurt that one of his roommates is quarterback Graham Mertz – a pretty convenient setup if he were to nudge Mertz about throwing the ball in his direction. "I've been getting in his ear for the past two few years," said Rucci, laughing. "It's finally working out."
Not everything has gone according to plan, though. Rucci missed the last seven games of 2021 with a Lisfranc fracture. And he was back in rehab this year after suffering a high ankle sprain and turf toe on Oct. 1 against Illinois. He missed three games before returning against Maryland last Saturday.
"I know the feeling of watching from the sideline and it's sickening," he said. "When you're injured, it's tough to try and stay locked in every week. At that point, you just focus on your teammates. When I was out, I was trying to help Esch, Jay and Cole the best I could."
Jack Eschenbach, Jaylan Franklin and Cole Dakovich share the tight end room.
"Just being able to finally get back out there was a great feeling," Rucci said after the Badgers rushed for a season-high 293 yards against the Terps (Braelon Allen had 119 and Isaac Guerendo had 114). "I'm still working on getting my power back. That's the biggest thing with blocking."
In his case, the blocks vary, too, from inside the box to in space on the edge.
"It's a huge role in this offense in how you secure the perimeter of a defense," said interim Wisconsin head coach Jim Leonhard. "Whether that's blocking defensive linemen, linebackers or DB's, that's a unique skill set to be really good at it. And he embraces that role.
"I know early in the season he saw himself as a huge passing threat," Leonhard said sarcastically. "He had some big plays in the pass game and hopefully we can get him involved in ways there. But he truly embraces what he has to do and the detail that it takes to have success.
"One play, you're blocking a 270-pound D-lineman. And then, the next play, you're out on the perimeter blocking a 175-pound corner. That's a unique skill set. Having him available, the way he has to communicate with a number of people around him, it's huge. He does a great job for us."
Rucci revels in the diversity of assignments. "Your job definitely varies in what you're asked to do and who you're going to be blocking or if you're going to be blocking or running a route," he said. "We're asked to do a lot but our coaches do a great job of preparing us throughout the week.
"Coming down on a D-lineman is tough. It's different than trying to go out in space and block a corner. Both take different techniques. Blocking a big dude is obviously more physical. You can't use the same approach blocking a 300-pound guy that you can blocking a DB. Or you'll end up on your face."
Meanwhile, his roomie, Mertz, has shown toughness with pass rushers in his face.
"You see some of those hits he takes and it's like, 'Wow, it's kind of crazy that he gets up,'" Rucci said. "It just shows you how much of a tough guy he is staying in the pocket, even when some other people would scramble or just go down.
"Graham stands in there and makes the throw before taking that hit. That shows a lot of toughness and bravery on his part. People just want to harp on, 'He shouldn't have made that throw' or 'Where is he throwing it?' Well, you didn't see the guy who was about to crack him in the face."
Leonhard shared his thoughts on that theme during his Monday presser.
"We've never questioned his toughness," he said of Mertz. "He has taken some big shots in his career and gotten up. Hopefully we can eliminate those the rest of the season. But that's part of the deal playing quarterback.
"You just want him to grow from all those situations. What hits can be avoided? Which one can you see and identify and help yourself on? Obviously, up front, our O-line, tight ends, backs, they take a lot of pride in keeping him upright.
"When we've been able to do that – keep him comfortable in the pocket – we've had a lot of success throwing the ball. That's going to be the emphasis going forward. But I do think Graham is extremely tough. He wants to stand in there and deliver the ball even with pressure in his face."
In last season's 27-7 win over Iowa at Camp Randall Stadium, the Badgers kept Mertz clean in the pocket. He wasn't sacked once. The Hawkeyes currently rank third nationally in total defense (264.4 yards per game) and have held all nine opponents under their season average in total offense.
"It's a trophy game, so it's huge in all of our minds," Rucci said. (The Badgers are 10-6 in the series with the Hawks since the schools began competing for the Heartland Trophy in 2004.) "I respect Iowa because they kind of have the same brand of football that we do. Tough. Hard nosed. Knock heads.
"It's an awesome challenge for us in the type of game that we love to play."
Maybe nobody loves to play – loves to block – more than Rucci. "Getting on the field is obviously my favorite thing," he said with that rekindled fire. Make that co-favorite thing. "Winning out is our goal," he said, eyeing the remaining schedule, beginning with Saturday's visit to Kinnick Stadium.
Â
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer
MADISON, Wis. – If Hayden Rucci isn't hanging out with his fellow tight ends or campus roommates, he tends to gravitate to people of like-mind and temperament. Offensive linemen. Younger brother Nolan is in that group. It was also his father's position group as a collegian and professional.
"It's nice to always be around the O-line because that in itself builds bonds off the field and you bring it on the field," Rucci said. "I'll talk to Nellie (Jack Nelson) and Riley (Mahlman) throughout the week on what we're seeing (from the defense) and what we're going to be communicating."
Rucci admitted to looking up – literally – to the 6-7, 310-pound Nelson, the 6-8, 315-pound, Mahlman and his "little brother" who's 6-8, 297. "It's crazy to think," Hayden said, "I'm 6-5, I'm a pretty big guy and then you come into the facility and you're tiny next to these guys. It's humbling."
It's not the first time that he has felt that way physically in the company of Lil' Bro.
"I've kind of gotten used to it living with him for the past 21 years," Hayden said, grinning.
Nolan Rucci, a 5-star prospect and redshirt freshman tackle, is still in a developmental phase.
"His mission right now is to be ready whenever is number is called," Hayden observed. "I've seen him preparing like he's going to be starting even though he's backing up a couple of positions. He has put on size and strength to get ready. I'm excited for him when his opportunity comes."
The Brothers Rucci from Lititz, Pa., can always count on support from their mom Stacy, an All-American field hockey player at Penn State, and their dad, Todd, an O-lineman for Joe Paterno, a second-round draft pick, and eight-year starter (including Super Bowl XXXI) for the New England Patriots.
"Growing up, he was me and Nolan's coach through youth, middle school and high school," Hayden said. "His philosophy was always, 'I'll coach you as hard as I can on the field and once we're off the field, unless you bring it up, we won't talk about it.'
"He definitely tries as hard as he can not to talk about football. I'm always the one who comes to him, 'What do you think I can do better here?' It's awesome to have me and him and Nolan sit down and have a conversation on how it's going – to have that little football circle in our family."
As a result, it's no secret where Hayden Rucci's passion for playing in the trenches comes from. But he's quick to say this about his tight end responsibilities, "I love blocking but half the position is catching as well. I'm trying to get that feel back from high school and translate it into my game."
At Warwick High School, where his father coached the offensive line, Rucci had 30 catches for 645 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior. But he had to wait two years and 12 games for his first reception at Wisconsin. In the 2022 opener, he caught two passes against Illinois State. An ice-breaker.
"Honestly, my first catch was like a burden off my shoulders," he said of a 13-yard completion in the third quarter. He also had a 14-yard reception and two more catches against New Mexico State. "Getting that first one out of the way, the second, third and fourth catches are that much easier.
"I've been looking to diversify my skill set since getting here."
Rucci was kidded that it probably doesn't hurt that one of his roommates is quarterback Graham Mertz – a pretty convenient setup if he were to nudge Mertz about throwing the ball in his direction. "I've been getting in his ear for the past two few years," said Rucci, laughing. "It's finally working out."
Not everything has gone according to plan, though. Rucci missed the last seven games of 2021 with a Lisfranc fracture. And he was back in rehab this year after suffering a high ankle sprain and turf toe on Oct. 1 against Illinois. He missed three games before returning against Maryland last Saturday.
"I know the feeling of watching from the sideline and it's sickening," he said. "When you're injured, it's tough to try and stay locked in every week. At that point, you just focus on your teammates. When I was out, I was trying to help Esch, Jay and Cole the best I could."
Jack Eschenbach, Jaylan Franklin and Cole Dakovich share the tight end room.
"Just being able to finally get back out there was a great feeling," Rucci said after the Badgers rushed for a season-high 293 yards against the Terps (Braelon Allen had 119 and Isaac Guerendo had 114). "I'm still working on getting my power back. That's the biggest thing with blocking."
In his case, the blocks vary, too, from inside the box to in space on the edge.
"It's a huge role in this offense in how you secure the perimeter of a defense," said interim Wisconsin head coach Jim Leonhard. "Whether that's blocking defensive linemen, linebackers or DB's, that's a unique skill set to be really good at it. And he embraces that role.
"I know early in the season he saw himself as a huge passing threat," Leonhard said sarcastically. "He had some big plays in the pass game and hopefully we can get him involved in ways there. But he truly embraces what he has to do and the detail that it takes to have success.
"One play, you're blocking a 270-pound D-lineman. And then, the next play, you're out on the perimeter blocking a 175-pound corner. That's a unique skill set. Having him available, the way he has to communicate with a number of people around him, it's huge. He does a great job for us."
Rucci revels in the diversity of assignments. "Your job definitely varies in what you're asked to do and who you're going to be blocking or if you're going to be blocking or running a route," he said. "We're asked to do a lot but our coaches do a great job of preparing us throughout the week.
"Coming down on a D-lineman is tough. It's different than trying to go out in space and block a corner. Both take different techniques. Blocking a big dude is obviously more physical. You can't use the same approach blocking a 300-pound guy that you can blocking a DB. Or you'll end up on your face."
Meanwhile, his roomie, Mertz, has shown toughness with pass rushers in his face.
"You see some of those hits he takes and it's like, 'Wow, it's kind of crazy that he gets up,'" Rucci said. "It just shows you how much of a tough guy he is staying in the pocket, even when some other people would scramble or just go down.
"Graham stands in there and makes the throw before taking that hit. That shows a lot of toughness and bravery on his part. People just want to harp on, 'He shouldn't have made that throw' or 'Where is he throwing it?' Well, you didn't see the guy who was about to crack him in the face."
Leonhard shared his thoughts on that theme during his Monday presser.
"We've never questioned his toughness," he said of Mertz. "He has taken some big shots in his career and gotten up. Hopefully we can eliminate those the rest of the season. But that's part of the deal playing quarterback.
"You just want him to grow from all those situations. What hits can be avoided? Which one can you see and identify and help yourself on? Obviously, up front, our O-line, tight ends, backs, they take a lot of pride in keeping him upright.
"When we've been able to do that – keep him comfortable in the pocket – we've had a lot of success throwing the ball. That's going to be the emphasis going forward. But I do think Graham is extremely tough. He wants to stand in there and deliver the ball even with pressure in his face."
In last season's 27-7 win over Iowa at Camp Randall Stadium, the Badgers kept Mertz clean in the pocket. He wasn't sacked once. The Hawkeyes currently rank third nationally in total defense (264.4 yards per game) and have held all nine opponents under their season average in total offense.
"It's a trophy game, so it's huge in all of our minds," Rucci said. (The Badgers are 10-6 in the series with the Hawks since the schools began competing for the Heartland Trophy in 2004.) "I respect Iowa because they kind of have the same brand of football that we do. Tough. Hard nosed. Knock heads.
"It's an awesome challenge for us in the type of game that we love to play."
Maybe nobody loves to play – loves to block – more than Rucci. "Getting on the field is obviously my favorite thing," he said with that rekindled fire. Make that co-favorite thing. "Winning out is our goal," he said, eyeing the remaining schedule, beginning with Saturday's visit to Kinnick Stadium.
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