#87

Hayden Rucci

TE · Wisconsin · Sr. · #87

Wisconsin 2023 alumnus
This season's coverage starts August 26 — check back once kickoff hits.

Hayden Rucci

TE · Wisconsin · Sr · #87

Limited signal — not enough coverage for a story yet.

Career Arc

HS
Recruit
★★★
#463 national
CFB
College
Wisconsin
2022–2023
NFL
NFL Draft
Not drafted

Coaching Lineage · 2022–2023

2 coaches
2022
Jim Leonhard
Wisconsin
2023
Wisconsin
era →

Coaching transition mid-career: Jim Leonhard → Luke Fickell. Worth noting in scheme + development context.

2025 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2022Wisconsin7-6HC: Jim Leonhard · Run-heavy
2023Wisconsin7-6HC: Luke Fickell · Balanced

Career stats

SeasonTeam
2023Wisconsin1112511.40--
2022Wisconsin67512.51--
Career1720011.81--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 8 · 2023

W 25–21

at Illinois

1 rec · 7 yds

A wire-to-wire battle — won by 4 on the road.

How he plays

Play style

Shows up in the passing game from any alignment.

CFB Index positional classification

DNA match

Player DNA

Complete TE

No single go-to route — the receiving numbers show up inline and split out alike.

TE

His 2023 production profile sits closest to Jake Roberts’s 2021 season.

Jake Roberts

82%match

North Texas · 2021

#2

Shelton Zeon III

UNLV · 2022

81%
#3

Dae'Quan Wright

Virginia Tech · 2022

80%
#4

Billy Riviere III

Washington State · 2023

80%
#5

John Samuel Shenker

Auburn · 2022

78%

Matches Jake on

Weight
Height
EPA / play (adj)

Differs from Jake on

Yards / reception (higher)
Recruiting rating (higher)

Not enough data yet for this comparison.

As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Shelton Zeon III's junior season at UNLV (2022).

UNLV · 2022

#2

Josiah Miamen

Florida International · 2023

84%
#3

Drake Dabney

Baylor · 2022

83%
#4

Marshall Lang

Northwestern · 2023

82%
#5

Colin Weber

Charlotte · 2024

82%

Matches Shelton on

Weight
Reception volume
Yards / reception

Development

Development Trajectory · receiving yards

2022–2023
75.02022
1252023

+67%

Up 67% from first season to most-recent.