Ru'Quan Buckley
Ru'Quan Buckley
Wins his gap play after play. Across four seasons and two programs, three head coaches: Scott Frost, Matt Rhule and Jonathan Smith. The receipt: 5 tackles, 1 sacks against Iowa — Week 13, 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: Mel Tucker → Jonathan Smith. 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
Pat Fitzgerald
Awards
Player Standing · 17 rungs
Tier 1 · 2-deepR03 · Backup
Spot duty on defense. Tackle volume for the position at the early end of the ladder.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Michigan State | 13 | 11 | 2.0 | 2.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Michigan State | 9 | 3 | 2.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Nebraska | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2021 | Nebraska | 1 | -- | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 24 | 15 | 4.0 | 2.0 | -- | -- | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 3 · 2025
W 41–24
vs Youngstown State
1 TOT · 1 SOLO
How he plays
Play style
Stout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Michigan State
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive line · Michigan State
Returning around him
- 2 Michigan State players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -18 net (28 in / 46 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Michigan State · Last season: 4-8 · Talent rank #38 · 2026 recruiting class #45
DNA match
Player DNA
Two-Gap Base
Stout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number.
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Chris McClellan’s 2025 season.
Matches Chris on
Differs from Chris on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Chris McClellan's senior season at Missouri (2025).
Matches Chris on
Differs from Chris on