Ruckert has spent most of periods blocking, but on Tuesday he leaked out for a catch across the middle that resulted in a first down, his first reception of camp. He did not think much of it, however, because he has focused on returning to form while learning a new system.
“I am just trying to do what I’ve been doing, I not really making too much of it,” he said. “Once you start thinking you can get all over the place and I learned that the hard way… I just try to go back to your training and go back to what you do best, and just not thinking and just playing.”
As a senior at Ohio State, Ruckert received just 42 targets. But he had sticky hands in the red zone from 2018-21 with 12 of his 54 career catches going for touchdowns. He caught at least 3 touchdown passes in each of the last three seasons, one of six Power Five tight ends to do so between 2019-21.
In Ruckert’s first four practices, Saleh has seen his physical talents. And he has allowed Ruckert time to transfer his knowledge of the scheme to the field keeping him with the third team.
“Love his movement, love his athleticism, he is everything we thought he was going to be,” Saleh. “Now it is just a matter of him catching up to the playbook so he can play without thought.”
Ruckert told reporters on Tuesday that he has gotten the playbook “down really well.” But he embraced Saleh’s advice to be patient.
“I am kind of getting the playbook down really well,” Ruckert said. “I am figuring it out and not really thinking much about that anymore. … But I got to just get back used to it. Anytime you put the pads back on it is an adjustment period.”
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