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Penn State OT Nolan Rucci earns East-West Shrine Bowl invite

nate-mug-10.12.14by: Nate Bauer01/22/26NateBauerBWI

Nolan Rucci arrived at Penn State after two seasons of limited participation at Wisconsin. Once a heralded Class of 2024 recruit who carried a five-star rating and the No. 18 overall ranking nationally, his potential went unrealized.

After two seasons of extensive action along the Nittany Lions’ offensive line, Rucci can now claim otherwise.

Announced late Wednesday evening, Rucci has accepted an invitation to participate in this year’s East-West Shrine Bowl. The annual showcase game for seniors will be played in Frisco, Texas, on Jan. 27, with broadcast details set for the NFL Network.

Rucci started all 12 games during the Nittany Lions’ regular season in 2025. He logged 611 total offensive snaps, fifth-most on the unit, while locking down the right tackle spot.

Nolan Rucci hits stride in 2024

The effort came on the heels of a 2024 campaign in which Rucci worked in a rotation at right tackle before an injury to Anthony Donkoh in November propelled a College Football Playoff run of improved performances. In all, he played in 16 games during the Nittany Lions’ CFP run to the semifinal round and made six starts.

Along the way, he demonstrated to then-offensive line coach Phil Trautwein his ability to absorb his responsibilities and execute them against some of the nation’s best competition.

“Really, just his knowledge of the game – it kind of clicked somewhere about halfway through the season,” Trautwein said last summer. “His details. He just came into meetings more locked in. He finally realized, like, ‘It’s on me.’ Sometimes it takes guys longer, but he finally realized that.

“I think he kind of knew, like, ‘My number might be called more than I think.’ He knew he had to be ready for that moment, and when he got the moment, he went out there and executed.”

Parlaying that opportunity into a revamped look on the offensive line in 2025, Rucci handled the right tackle spot while Donkoh, still working his way back from his season-ending 2024 injury, moved to right guard for the majority of his snaps this season.

Penn State Offensive Linemen

Outgoing

NameEligibilityNotes
Eagan BoyerRS SophomoreFlorida
Brady O’HaraRS FreshmanMonmouth
T.J. ShanahanRS JuniorFlorida
Alex BirchmeierRS JuniorLiberty
J’Ven WilliamsRS JuniorCharlotte
Michael TroutmanRS FreshmanVirginia Tech

Retained/Undecided

NameEligibilityNotes
Jim FitzgeraldRS SeniorStaying
Dom RulliRS SeniorStaying
Anthony DonkohRS JuniorStaying
Chimdy OnohRS JuniorStaying
Henry Boehme +RS JuniorStaying
Cooper CousinsJuniorStaying
Garrett SextonRS SophomoreStaying
Caleb BrewerRS SophomoreStaying
Donnie HarbourRS SophomoreStaying
Liam Horan +RS SophomoreStaying
Owen AlicieneRS FreshmanStaying
Malachi GoodmanRS FreshmanStaying

Incoming

NameSchoolHt./Wt.EligibilityNotes
Tyshon HuffTiffin6-4/300RS JuniorStory
Trevor BuhrIowa State6-4/325RS JuniorStory
Brock RikerTexas State6-4/290RS SophomoreStory
Kuol KuolIowa State6-6/290RS FreshmanStory
Will TompkinsIowa State6-5/300RS FreshmanStory
Vaea IkakoulaIowa State6-3/355RS FreshmanStory
Hunter Albright +St. Francis6-5/310RS Freshman
Mason BandhauerHigh School6-5/260FreshmanStory
Pete EglitisHigh School6-7/290FreshmanStory

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