All 105 is a Nittany Sports Now series profiling each Penn State football player. Here’s a profile of walk-on offensive lineman Dominic Rulli.
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 294 pounds
Hometown: Burlington, Kentucky
Before Penn State: Rulli had been committed to West Virginia since Christmas Eve. Then, a month and a day after his initial commitment, he heard from PSU head coach James Franklin and offensive line coach Phil Trautwein, and that got the ball rolling. He liked what West Virginia offered, but having grown up a PSU fan and, as grade school kid, watching the program recover from scandal to return to national powerhouse status, he knew what his heart was telling him.
“I’ve always wanted Penn State,” Rulli told Nittany Sports Now not long after his commitment. “West Virginia was great. There wasn’t any way they treated me bad. It was a great time. I loved the coaches. Coach Ryan Nahlen, he did a great job. I just felt that at Penn State, I could see myself in the future player there. I felt I fit the system. I could see this bond being built between myself and coach Trautwein, and I just liked my scenario a little bit better at Penn State. That made my decision a little bit easier.
“It was a little close to signing day, which was a little stressful. But I think— I know I made the right choice.”
2022: Rulli redshirted but made his college debut in Penn State’s White Out win over Minnesota Oct. 23.
2023: Rulli played in all 13 games, appearing mainly on special teams. His efforts were noticed by Penn State’s coaching staff, with him twice being named the Developmental Squad’s Offensive Player of the Week. At the end of the season, Rulli was named the team’s most outstanding run-on, an honor he shared with Kolin Dinkins.
A quote by Rulli: “All I’ve known is how to work, and I’m excited for what’s to come at Penn State,” he said. “And I’m ready to work.” — Rulli to NSN
More All 105s
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.
