3-star TE Luca Puccinelli commits to Wake Forest
Richmond (Va.) Benedictine three-star tight end Luca Puccinelli announced his commitment to Wake Forest on Thursday. He chose the Demon Deacons over Duke, Maryland and South Carolina among others.
Puccinelli is the No. 936 overall prospect and No. 44 tight end in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also the No. 25 player in Virginia.
On3 rates Puccinelli higher than other recruiting services, according to the Industry Comparison. Even though he is not ranked in the 2024 On300, Puccinelli is the No. 40 tight end in the country.
“I first off want to thank my family and friends for supporting me on my journey,” Puccinelli wrote in a statement on Twitter. “Secondly I want to thank all the coaches that gave me an opportunity. With that said I am continuing my academic and athletic career at Wake Forest University! Go Deacs!!!”
The 6-foot-6, 230-pound recruit made numerous visits ahead of his commitment. They included trips to Virginia Tech (Sept. 10), South Carolina (Jan. 21), Notre Dame (April 23), Penn State (Sept. 24), Ohio State (June 6), Michigan (April 18) and Clemson (June 1).
Puccinelli has an On3 NIL Valuation of $23K. The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets high school and college athletes’ projected annual value (PAV). The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.
Puccinelli is another talented member of Wake Forest’s 2024 class
Wake Forest’s 2024 recruiting class now contains seven players. They are Puccinelli, Gatlinburg (Tenn.) Gatlinburg Pittman three-star linebacker Whittman Whaley, Baltimore (Md.) St. Frances Academy three-star linebacker Darius Jones, Rome (Ga.) EDGE Justin Terrell, Jacksonville (Fla.) Atlantic Coast three-star EDGE Camden Hardy, Marietta (Ga.) Walton three-star quarterback Jeremy Hecklinski and Clearwater (Fla.) Clearwater Central Catholic three-star wide receiver Andy Jaffe.
Meanwhile, Wake Forest’s 2023 recruiting class finished No. 56 in the 2023 On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings and No. 9 in the ACC. The Demon Deacons’ group was led by Miami Beachwood three-star cornerback Antonio Robinson, the No. 469 overall prospect in the 2023 On3 Industry Ranking.
Four other Wake Forest signees ranked in the top-1,000 of the Industry Ranking. They were Palm Beach Gardens (Fla.) Dwyer three-star EDGE Kerrington Lee, Douglasville (Ga.) Douglas County three-star wide receiver Hilton Alexander II, Hilton Head Island (S.C.) three-star defensive lineman Chris Marable and Deatsville (Ala.) Russell County three-star running back Drew Pickett.