Brandon Buckner
Brandon Buckner
Fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge. Across four seasons and two programs, three head coaches: Bryan McClendon, Rick Stockstill and Derek Mason. One game to point at: 7 tackles, 2.5 TFL against Western Kentucky — Week 12, 2025.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
Career Arc
Coaching Lineage · 2021–2025
2 coachesCoaching transition mid-career: Rick Stockstill → Derek Mason. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2025 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
Splits & context
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Derek Mason
Awards
Player Standing · 17 rungs
Tier 1 · 2-deepR04 · Rotational
Rotational. Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Middle Tennessee | 35 | 21 | 6.5 | 4.5 | 2 | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Middle Tennessee | 37 | 18 | 4.0 | 3.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Middle Tennessee | 6 | 3 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2 | -- | -- |
| 2021 | Oregon | 5 | 3 | 1.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 83 | 45 | 12.5 | 8.5 | 4 | -- | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 3 · 2025
W 14–13
at Nevada
5 TOT · 5 SOLO · 1 SACKS
A wire-to-wire battle — won by 1 on the road.
How he plays
Play style
Downhill striker who fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Middle Tennessee
2026 Depth chart
Returning starter
Linebacker · Middle Tennessee
Returning around him
- 1 Middle Tennessee player drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: +1 net (19 in / 18 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Middle Tennessee · Last season: 3-9 · Talent rank #110 · 2026 recruiting class #119
DNA match
Player DNA
Thumper
Downhill striker who fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge.
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Ezekiel Noa’s 2022 season.
Matches Ezekiel on
Differs from Ezekiel on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Henry Bryant's senior season at Georgia State (2024).
Matches Henry on
Differs from Henry on