Two former Penn State players are back on the market after Sunday’s NFL cuts, with offensive lineman Nolan Rucci and long snapper Tyler Duzansky both being let go by their respective teams.
Rucci was released by the Indianapolis Colts after signing with them as an undrafted free agent following the 2026 NFL Draft. The former Penn Stater arrived in Happy Valley after three seasons at Wisconsin, where he had been a former 5-star recruit.
His college path ended with a strong final run in blue and white. Rucci worked as a rotational lineman in 2024, making six starts, then took over at right tackle and started every regular-season game in 2025. At 6-foot-8, he brought obvious size to the position, but injuries kept him from staying on the field during Colts training camp.
Indianapolis now has just one former Penn Stater on its 53-man roster to open the season: tight end Tyler Warren.
Duzansky’s situation with the Las Vegas Raiders followed a similar arc. After his final season with the Nittany Lions, he signed a 3-year, $3.11 million deal with the Raiders as an undrafted free agent after the 2026 NFL Draft. But he lost the long-snapping job to fourth-year pro Alex Ward, who came to Las Vegas after three seasons with the Los Angeles Rams.
Even with the setback, Duzansky’s college résumé stood out. He was named a finalist for the Patrick Mannelly Award, which honors the top long snapper in college football in 2025.
Duzansky still has a path back to the Raiders if he clears waivers. If not, he’ll be looking for a new team and another shot at handling a role that usually only gets noticed when something goes wrong.
In Other News...
Penn State NFL Weekend Brought A Brutal Reality For One Former Star
It was a rough NFL weekend for a former Penn State star already facing a long road back. The Green Bay Packers placed Micah Parsons on the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform list, which means he will miss at least the first four games of the 2026 season as he continues recovering from ACL surgery.
The bad news did not stop there for Penn State alums trying to hang onto roster spots around the league, either. A handful of former Nittany Lions were waived during final cutdowns, leaving them in limbo as they wait to see whether another team claims them or brings them back on a practice squad. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Fans Just Got A Reminder About Their QB Depth
Virginia Techs quarterback decision has a Penn State angle attached to it, since Ethan Grunkemeyer will open the upcoming season as the Hokies starter after transferring out of Happy Valley. The move brings a familiar name back into the conversation for Penn State fans, because Grunkemeyer was forced into action late last season and ended up starting the final six games after the starter went down with an injury.
James Franklin confirmed the choice and had plenty of praise for Grunkemeyers approach, pointing to his work ethic, decision-making and leadership as he prepared for a fresh start. For Penn State, it is also a reminder of how much depth matters at quarterback, especially when a backup who got meaningful reps in a pinch is now heading elsewhere with a chance to run his own offense. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Players Just Felt The NFL Roster Cut Crunch
The NFLs roster-cut deadline always sends a ripple back to Happy Valley, and this year was no different. By Sunday, teams had trimmed down to 53 players, and several former Penn State standouts were part of the squeeze, including Adisa Isaac, Jesse Luketa, Will Levis and Sean Clifford. For a program that keeps producing pros, the cutdown day serves as a reminder of how crowded the path can be even for players with college rsums that once made them fixtures in State College.
Still, the broader picture remains strong for Penn States NFL pipeline. More than two dozen former Nittany Lions are set to open the 2026 season on active rosters, a group spread across the league and giving the program a steady presence on Sundays. The full list is long, which is part of the point: even as a few names hit the waiver wire, Penn States footprint in the pros remains sizable, and there will be plenty of eyes on which of those recent cuts find another landing spot. [Read more 🡒]