Commitment 101: Hayden Rucci

The Wisconsin Badgers added four-star tight end Hayden Rucci to their 2019 recruiting class Monday. Here's what Rucci's commitment means for head coach Paul Chryst moving forward.

At 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds, Hayden Rucci will likely begin as an H-back in the Badgers' offense. But that doesn't mean he'll line up exclusively off the line of scrimmage. Junior tape from the four-star prospect shows an athlete who can catch and block at a high level, similar to skill-set Troy Fumagalli brought to the Badgers.

"Yes, they would have me as a blocking and receiving tight end like they use Fumagalli," Rucci, who had 19 catches for 376 yards and three touchdowns this fall, told BadgerBlitz.com.

Added high school head coach Bob Locker: "His pass-catching ability stands out," Locker told BadgerBlitz.com. "For the high school level he has great hands, and that will allow him to have a chance to do the same thing in college. But when people look at his Hudl highlights from the year, an awful lot of them are blocking highlights, and he understood that Wisconsin will require him to that. He'll be pretty comfortable with that.

"We'll continue to tweak the passing routes, because I think that's always something you can improve on. And then pass catching, we're doing that every Saturday morning with the wide outs and quarterbacks. The intensity is much different in college, but I think he'll be prepared. He's a very good blocker but we're working on crisper routes and fundamentals."

Rucci, a multi-sport athlete, is also an athletic player who is productive after the catch. After a year or two in the program, he'll likely be able to play in the 245- or 250-pound range for position coach and lead recruiter Mickey Turner. His father, former Penn State and New England Patriots offensive lineman Todd Rucci, was listed at 6-foot-5 and 295 pounds during his playing days.