Hayden Rucci

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Hayden Rucci
No. 87 – Miami Dolphins
PositionTight end
Roster statusPractice squad
Personal information
Born (2001-01-27) January 27, 2001 (age 24)
Height6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Weight247 lb (112 kg)
Career information
High schoolWarwick
(Lititz, Pennsylvania)
CollegeWisconsin (2019–2023)
NFL draft2024: undrafted
Career history
Career NFL statistics as of Week 9, 2025
Games played2
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Hayden Rucci (born January 27, 2001) is an American professional football tight end for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Wisconsin Badgers and was signed by the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2024.

Early life

[edit]

Rucci was born on January 27, 2001, the son of former NFL player Todd Rucci.[1] His grandfather, Tom Gilburg, also played in the NFL.[2] He grew up in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and attended Warwick High School in Lititz, where he played football.[3] A tight end, he was known for his blocking ability and also had 19 receptions for 376 yards and three touchdowns as a junior, while posting 30 catches for 645 yards and eight scores as a senior.[4] In both years, he was named first-team All-Lancaster-Lebanon League.[5] Rucci helped Warwick to the Section One championship as a senior and was selected to the Big 33 all-star game, which his father had also played in.[6] He finished his stint at Warwick with 58 receptions for 1,129 yards and 12 touchdowns.[7] A four-star recruit, he committed to play college football for the Wisconsin Badgers.[5]

College career

[edit]

At Wisconsin, Rucci played alongside his brother Nolan, an offensive lineman.[2] He redshirted as a true freshman at Wisconsin in 2019, then appeared in six games during the 2020 season.[8] He played in six games again during the 2021 season, being limited by a foot injury.[9] He became a starter during the 2022 season, starting eight of 10 games while posting six receptions for 75 yards and a touchdown, which was scored in the 2022 Guaranteed Rate Bowl.[8] In his last year, 2023, he led the team's tight ends with 11 receptions for 125 yards.[2] Although he had an extra year of eligibility remaining, he opted to enter the NFL draft, finishing his stint at Wisconsin with 17 catches for 200 yards and a touchdown.[10]

Professional career

[edit]
Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 4+3⁄4 in
(1.95 m) 		247 lb
(112 kg) 		31+3⁄4 in
(0.81 m) 		10+1⁄2 in
(0.27 m)		 5.02 s 1.84 s 2.89 s 4.40 s 7.53 s 32.0 in
(0.81 m)		 9 ft 7 in
(2.92 m)		 19 reps
All values from Pro Day[11][12]

After going unselected in the 2024 NFL draft, Rucci signed with the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent.[2] In preseason, he led the team with seven catches for 57 yards, scoring a touchdown in the third preseason game.[13] He was waived on August 27, 2024, then re-signed to the practice squad the next day.[14] He was released on October 23, re-signed to the practice squad on November 13, and released again on December 24, before signing a reserve/future contract after the season, on January 9, 2025.[1] He was waived on August 26, 2025, then re-signed to the practice squad the next day.[1] Rucci was elevated to the active roster for the team's Week 8 game against the Atlanta Falcons and made his NFL debut in the game, posting a tackle.[15][16]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Hayden Rucci Stats". Pro Football Archives. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d Morgan, Bruce (May 1, 2024). "Rucci 'grateful' for opportunity". LNP. p. A15, A17 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  3. ^ "Lancaster County native Hayden Rucci signs with Miami Dolphins practice squad". WGAL. August 28, 2025.
  4. ^ Temple, Jesse (May 30, 2019). "Tight-knit tight ends: True freshmen Hayden Rucci and Clay Cundiff can help Wisconsin reload a position of need". The Athletic.
  5. ^ a b Charnoff, April (April 27, 2024). "Warwick's Hayden Rucci signed with Miami Dophins as undrafted free agent". WHTM-TV.
  6. ^ Walk, John (May 27, 2019). "Circle Of (Football) Life". LNP. p. B1, B4 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  7. ^ Kocorowski, Jake (September 5, 2022). "How a healthy Hayden Rucci helps Wisconsin football's offense". Wisconsin State Journal.
  8. ^ a b "Hayden Rucci". Wisconsin Badgers.
  9. ^ Potrykus, Jeff (August 21, 2023). "Wisconsin's Hayden Rucci working through two transitions: A new role and a new offense". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
  10. ^ Morgan, Bruce (January 7, 2024). "Chasing NFL Dreams". LNP. p. C1, C5 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  11. ^ "Hayden Rucci College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
  12. ^ "Hayden Rucci RAS". RAS.Football. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
  13. ^ Morgan, Bruce (September 7, 2024). "Warwick grad 'excited' to practice with Dolphins". LNP. p. A18 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  14. ^ Kenney, Ben (August 29, 2024). "Former Wisconsin tight end signs to Miami Dolphins practice squad". USA Today.
  15. ^ "Dolphins Make Roster Moves". Miami Dolphins. October 25, 2025.
  16. ^ "Hayden Rucci Career Game Log". Pro Football Reference.