Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1514597
1 0 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 4 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M W hen the NCAA began re- laxing some of its more onerous transfer rules a few years ago, the move was seen by many as giving college athletes a second chance to find the right fit. Less frequently noted, but no less true, was that college coaches were also being presented with a second chance. Now, they would have an opportunity to re-recruit prospects who had slipped away coming out of high school. Penn State's 2024 transfer class shows just how advantageous those pre-existing relationships can be. Two of the Nittany Lions' six ac- quisitions from FBS schools — se- nior wide receiver Julian Fleming and redshirt junior offensive line- man Nolan Rucci — had been ag- gressively courted by PSU coming out of their respective Pennsylva- nia high schools a few years ago. Fleming, a five-star prospect from Southern Columbia High, ended up choosing Ohio State, while Rucci, a five-star lineman from Warwick, headed to Wiscon- sin. In four seasons with the Buck- eyes, Fleming caught 80 passes for 990 yards and 7 touchdowns. Rucci, meanwhile, saw action in six games the past two years for the Badgers after redshirting as a true freshman in 2021. When the two players entered the transfer portal following the 2024 regular season, Penn State took an immediate interest. Given the op- portunity for a do-over, James Franklin and his staff made a strong bid to bring both back home. The coaches' pitch proved persuasive; Fleming and Rucci both signed with the Lions and are now on campus, having enrolled in January. Fleming 's signing helps address one of the Nittany Lions' most glaring needs. The wide receiver corps strug- gled throughout the 2023 season, a situ- ation that came to a head in the Lions' 38-25 loss to Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl. Against the Rebels, PSU didn't complete a pass to a wideout until the fourth quarter. After the game, Franklin cited the team's struggles in that area as a problem in need of an urgent fix. "We've got to be able to scare people and be a threat consistently on the perimeter," he said. "That's something I think we've shown at times, but we need to be able to do it on a consistent basis." Fleming should help. Although he was hindered by injuries dur- ing his time in Columbus, he was a sure-handed receiver. According to Pro Football Focus, he dropped just 6 passes during his tenure with the Buckeyes. Penn State's receiver corps will also benefit from the return of Ke- Andre Lambert-Smith for his fifth season. Lambert-Smith was eas- ily Penn State's top pass catcher in 2023, finishing with 53 receptions for 673 yards. He was inexplicably quiet in the later stages of the sea- son, catching just 2 passes for 28 yards in the Lions' last three games. Even so, he had more than twice as many catches as Dante Cephas, the team's next-most-productive wide receiver. On the offensive line, Rucci will battle for a spot on a unit that must replace starting tackles Olumuyiwa Fashanu and Caedan Wallace. The son of two former Penn State varsity athletes — standout football player Todd Rucci and field hockey All-American Stacy (Gilburg) Rucci — Nolan Rucci is a high-ceiling tackle prospect. He'll spend the spring adapt- ing to position coach Phil Trautwein's system and will likely look to add a few more pounds in the PSU weight room. PSU Addresses Pressing Needs With Portal Signings M AT T H E R B | M AT T. H E R B @ O N 3 . C O M NEWS & NOTES Nolan Rucci was a five-star offensive lineman coming out of Warwick (Pa.) High in 2021. He chose Wisconsin but entered the transfer portal in December and opted to sign with Penn State. PHOTO COURTESY WISCONSIN ATHLETICS