Hayden Rucci

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

Early life Rucci was born on January 27, 2001, the son of former NFL player Todd Rucci. His grandfather, Tom Gilburg, also played in the NFL. He grew up in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and attended Warwick High School in Lititz, where he played football. 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. In both years, he was named first-team All-Lancaster-Lebanon League. 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. He finished his stint at Warwick with 58 receptions for 1,129 yards and 12 touchdowns. A four-star recruit, he committed to play college football for the Wisconsin Badgers. He played in six games again during the 2021 season, being limited by a foot injury. 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.

Professional career

Miami Dolphins After going unselected in the 2024 NFL draft, Rucci signed with the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent. He was waived on August 27, 2024, then re-signed to the practice squad the next day. 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 with the team after the season, on January 9, 2025. He was signed to the active roster on November 8, then waived on November 29.

Detroit Lions On December 1, 2025, Rucci was claimed off waivers by the Detroit Lions. He was waived on December 10.

Miami Dolphins (second stint) On December 12, 2025, Rucci was re-signed to the Miami Dolphins practice squad.

San Francisco 49ers On January 14, 2026, Rucci was signed to the San Francisco 49ers' practice squad. Rucci signed a reserve/future contract with San Francisco on January 22.

Personal life Rucci's brother Nolan also played at Wisconsin.