Wisconsin's 2019 signing class will be moving up to Madison in June, so BadgerBlitz.com reached out to the newest members of the UW roster to get their thoughts as they prepare to start their college careers.
Hayden Rucci, a four-star tight end from Lititz, Penn., spoke with BadgerBlitz.com over the weekend about how he's feeling ahead of joining the Badgers this summer.
Miss an interview? Catch up here:
I know some guys enjoy the recruiting process and some just want to get it over with as soon as possible. As someone who was committed to UW for a long time before getting to sign your letter of intent was it a relief to get to December and finally make your commitment official?
Hayden Rucci: Definitely. That kind of took the words right out of my mouth. At the start of my recruiting process in sophomore year … I had really been going through it for a while. At the end I just knew. I knew it was time. After being committed since last February I had been waiting a long time to make it official. When I signed that letter and made it official it was a pretty cool moment just to kind of secure my future.
Did the recruiting process in general go about how you expected it would? Or was it a little bit different than what you expected it to be at the get-go?
Hayden Rucci: That’s a good question. I think at the beginning I was so new to the recruiting process it was a pretty unique experience and it was really exciting. My dad had gone through it when he was coming out of high school … but not to this scale. He got his offers after his senior year of football. It was a lot earlier for me. At the beginning I was really excited about it and then as it went on I still appreciated it but it was kind of the same thing. I was just more focused on, "Where do I want to end up?" After a lot of thinking I ended up where I wanted to be.
So in the end what was it about Wisconsin that made you feel like Madison was going to be your home for the next few years?
Hayden Rucci: My mom just reminded me - I said right before I committed, my top three was … I really liked Wisconsin, I really liked Michigan State and I really liked Duke. But when I thought about Wisconsin, I said, "If I went anywhere else, I would wonder what it would have been like to to go to Wisconsin." And I knew that with the other places I wouldn’t have thought that. I just felt like Wisconsin was the place I wanted to be at.
Were the Badgers on your radar at all when you really started looking at schools and figuring out where you wanted to go?
Hayden Rucci: Honestly, no. I don’t ever really remember sitting down and watching Wisconsin. I’m from Pennsylvania and both of my parents went to Penn State, and I think it was the last time the Badgers played Penn State in the Big Ten Championship Game - that was the first time I really sat down and watched Wisconsin. That’s when I kind of realized who they were. But when I started the recruiting process … they weren’t a big one I was thinking about. They popped on to my radar when I started getting my offers.
Did you feel any extra pressure to stay in-state or closer to home?
Hayden Rucci: My parents put absolutely zero pressure on me. They wanted me to go wherever I felt was right. Whether that was the East Coast or the West Coast or right in the middle of the Midwest. I think the pressure kind of came from everybody else who figured I would be going to Penn State and stuff just because my parents went there and I’m from the area. I think everyone thought I would end up there. But I relied on my parents - they gave me good advice through the whole recruiting process
What are you most excited about for when you get on campus with the Badgers next month for summer workouts and then eventually fall camp?
Hayden Rucci: I think the biggest thing I’m excited about is just getting to compete on a different level. I can’t wait to get out there and strap on pads and get out there even after practice in fall camp and just get in to football season at the college level now. That’s what I’m most excited about.
Do you remember when you realized that playing Division 1 football was going to be a real option for you?
Hayden Rucci: That moment kind of came for me when I got my first offer from Michigan State. I knew I was a pretty good high school football player. I didn’t know how good I was or what level I could go play at. But after that visit to Michigan State I was like, "OK, I can do this. I can be pretty good." That’s what I’ve been working on since then.
Back to Wisconsin for a bit - does getting to play tight end there mean something a little extra to you, since that position has always been a staple of the UW offense?
Hayden Rucci: Absolutely. I think it’s pretty cool that I get to go play a position where when people think of Wisconsin they think of their tight ends. Being able to be a part of that group is pretty exciting for me to step in to their shoes.
I know you've got your younger brother Nolan Rucci you can share some advice with, but if anyone else on your team asks you for advice about going through being recruited what would you tell them?
Hayden Rucci: Take in as much information on visits as you can, talk to as many people as you can, meet as many people as you can. If you follow those steps at the end of the day you’ll know where you want to be at. You’ll just have that feeling on campus of, "this is where I need to be."
Are you thinking you're going to try and help out the coaching staff a little bit or are you going to give Nolan some space to decide for himself when it comes time for him to make a decision?
Hayden Rucci: Hell no, I’m in his ear about it. I’m trying to get him to come with me.
Do you think he'll listen to his older brother?
Hayden Rucci: He’s a hard book to read. I don’t know about that kid sometimes. I’ll do my best.
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John Veldhuis covers Wisconsin football, basketball and recruiting for BadgerBlitz.com on the Rivals.com network. Follow him on Twitter at @JohnVeldhuis.
