Dominic Rulli has spent four years at Penn State doing the kind of work that usually gets noticed only when something goes right. He walked on, kept showing up, earned a scholarship, and then carved out a role that stretched from special teams to the offensive line. Now, in his final season, he’s in position to chase something much bigger: the starting center job.
The redshirt senior from Burlington, Kentucky, has appeared in 42 games across his Penn State career, with most of that action coming on special teams. He joined the program as a walk-on in 2022 and was put on scholarship at the start of the 2025 season.
Rulli’s 2025 campaign gave him a real foothold on offense. He played in 13 games and made his first collegiate start in the Pinstripe Bowl against Clemson at center. Penn State put up 397 yards in that game, including 262 through the air.
Pro Football Focus credited Rulli with 109 offensive snaps in 2025 and a 71.3 overall blocking grade. His run-blocking grade was 68.4, and his pass-blocking grade came in at 69.8. He did not allow a sack or a quarterback hit.
He still did plenty of work on special teams, too, logging 96 snaps there in 2025.
And for all the line work and the steady climb, Rulli may be best remembered for one snap in Penn State’s 2024 win at Minnesota. He helped set up the fake punt that clinched the game and delivered the block that let Luke Reynolds pick up the first down.
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Penn State May Finally Be Turning The Tide In Pennsylvania
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Recruiting analyst Ryan Snyder said there are signs the relationship work is starting to pay off for future classes, even if the 2027 cycle exposed some of the programs recent challenges. Penn State has been working to clean up its local approach after competition and organizational issues complicated things, and the early returns in 2028 suggest the staff may finally be regaining some traction where it counts most. [Read more 🡒]