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Jersey Number 88
Ru'Quan Buckley
- Position:
- DL
- Ht./Wt.:
- 6-5 / 325
- Class:
- Redshirt Senior
- Hometown:
- Grand Rapids, Mich.
- High School:
- Godwin Heights
Career Bio (PDF)
CAREER NOTES: Played in 32 collegiate games during his career . . . played in 23 games for the Spartans (2024-25) . . . transferred to MSU from Nebraska in the summer of 2024 . . . played in nine games for the Huskers (one in 2021, eight in 2023) . . . three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection (2022, 2023, 2025) . . . recorded 25 career tackles (23 at MSU, two at Nebraska) . . . four-time honoree on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll . . . two-time recipient of the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award (2022, 2023).
2025 SEASON (REDSHIRT SENIOR AT MICHIGAN STATE): Played in 11 games along the interior of the defensive line . . . played a career-high 191 snaps on defense . . . posted a career-high 14 tackles and two sacks (5 yards) . . . registered a career-high five tackles, including a 4-yard sack, at Iowa (11/22) in just 13 snaps . . . returned to action vs. Penn State (11/15) after missing previous game with an injury, tallying two tackles in 18 snaps . . . missed Minnesota game (11/1) with an injury . . . tallied three tackles, including 1.0 tackle for loss coming on his first career sack (1 yard) in the first quarter of the Michigan game (10/25), in logging 15 snaps . . . notched one tackle in game at Indiana (10/18) in charting 14 snaps . . . made first start of collegiate career in opening UCLA game (10/11) at defensive tackle, notching one tackle in 45 snaps . . . charted 12 snaps in his first return to Nebraska (10/4) and first time playing former team . . . logged one tackle in 15 snaps in game at USC (9/20) . . . posted one stop in 16 snaps in Youngstown State game (9/13) . . . saw limited action in Boston College (9/6) and Western Michigan (8/29) games, logging 17 and 7 snaps, respectively.
2024 SEASON (REDSHIRT JUNIOR AT MICHIGAN STATE): Played in all 12 games in his first season at MSU . . . tallied nine tackles (three solo, six assists), with 2.0 tackles for loss (3 yards) . . . played 127 snaps on defense and 54 on special teams . . . played a season-high 25 snaps with two tackles vs. Rutgers . . . had best game as a Spartan in Purdue game, tallying season-high two tackles with 1.0 tackle for loss and blocked a field goal attempt, in charting 15 snaps . . . saw limited action in Illinois, Indiana and Michigan games without a tackle . . . posted one stop in Iowa game, logging six snaps . . . made one tackle in 15 defensive snaps in game at Oregon . . . logged one tackle in posting 0.5 TFL in Ohio State game, notching 14 snaps . . . saw limited action at Boston College . . . tallied one tackle with 0.5 TFL in Prairie View A&M game . . . was in limited action in game at Maryland . . . made Spartan debut with one tackle in five snaps in season opener vs. Florida Atlantic.
2023 SEASON (REDSHIRT SOPHOMORE AT NEBRASKA): Appeared in eight games . . . played 60 snaps on the defensive line . . . had a solo tackle against Michigan (9/30) . . . recorded a QB hurry vs. Louisiana Tech . . . member of the Brook Berringer and Tom Osborne Citizenship Team . . was involved in several community service initiatives during his time in Lincoln.
2022 SEASON (REDSHIRT FRESHMAN AT NEBRASKA): Did not see game action.
2021 SEASON (FRESHMAN AT NEBRASKA): Made his collegiate debut vs. Fordham (9/4) in his only action of the season.
HIGH SCHOOL AND PERSONAL DATA: Four-year starter on the offensive and defensive lines at Godwin Heights High School in Wyoming, Michigan . . . named first-team all-state as a senior in 2020 by the Detroit Free Press as an offensive lineman . . . ranked one of the top prospects in the Class of 2021 in the state of Michigan by ESPN.com (No. 12), Rivals (No. 13) and 247Sports (No. 17) . . . recorded 74 tackles, including 22 TFLs and 11 sacks, during his senior season . . . son of Rubin Buckley and Taquanta Smith.
CAREER NOTES: Played in 32 collegiate games during his career . . . played in 23 games for the Spartans (2024-25) . . . transferred to MSU from Nebraska in the summer of 2024 . . . played in nine games for the Huskers (one in 2021, eight in 2023) . . . three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection (2022, 2023, 2025) . . . recorded 25 career tackles (23 at MSU, two at Nebraska) . . . four-time honoree on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll . . . two-time recipient of the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award (2022, 2023).
2025 SEASON (REDSHIRT SENIOR AT MICHIGAN STATE): Played in 11 games along the interior of the defensive line . . . played a career-high 191 snaps on defense . . . posted a career-high 14 tackles and two sacks (5 yards) . . . registered a career-high five tackles, including a 4-yard sack, at Iowa (11/22) in just 13 snaps . . . returned to action vs. Penn State (11/15) after missing previous game with an injury, tallying two tackles in 18 snaps . . . missed Minnesota game (11/1) with an injury . . . tallied three tackles, including 1.0 tackle for loss coming on his first career sack (1 yard) in the first quarter of the Michigan game (10/25), in logging 15 snaps . . . notched one tackle in game at Indiana (10/18) in charting 14 snaps . . . made first start of collegiate career in opening UCLA game (10/11) at defensive tackle, notching one tackle in 45 snaps . . . charted 12 snaps in his first return to Nebraska (10/4) and first time playing former team . . . logged one tackle in 15 snaps in game at USC (9/20) . . . posted one stop in 16 snaps in Youngstown State game (9/13) . . . saw limited action in Boston College (9/6) and Western Michigan (8/29) games, logging 17 and 7 snaps, respectively.
2024 SEASON (REDSHIRT JUNIOR AT MICHIGAN STATE): Played in all 12 games in his first season at MSU . . . tallied nine tackles (three solo, six assists), with 2.0 tackles for loss (3 yards) . . . played 127 snaps on defense and 54 on special teams . . . played a season-high 25 snaps with two tackles vs. Rutgers . . . had best game as a Spartan in Purdue game, tallying season-high two tackles with 1.0 tackle for loss and blocked a field goal attempt, in charting 15 snaps . . . saw limited action in Illinois, Indiana and Michigan games without a tackle . . . posted one stop in Iowa game, logging six snaps . . . made one tackle in 15 defensive snaps in game at Oregon . . . logged one tackle in posting 0.5 TFL in Ohio State game, notching 14 snaps . . . saw limited action at Boston College . . . tallied one tackle with 0.5 TFL in Prairie View A&M game . . . was in limited action in game at Maryland . . . made Spartan debut with one tackle in five snaps in season opener vs. Florida Atlantic.
2023 SEASON (REDSHIRT SOPHOMORE AT NEBRASKA): Appeared in eight games . . . played 60 snaps on the defensive line . . . had a solo tackle against Michigan (9/30) . . . recorded a QB hurry vs. Louisiana Tech . . . member of the Brook Berringer and Tom Osborne Citizenship Team . . was involved in several community service initiatives during his time in Lincoln.
2022 SEASON (REDSHIRT FRESHMAN AT NEBRASKA): Did not see game action.
2021 SEASON (FRESHMAN AT NEBRASKA): Made his collegiate debut vs. Fordham (9/4) in his only action of the season.
HIGH SCHOOL AND PERSONAL DATA: Four-year starter on the offensive and defensive lines at Godwin Heights High School in Wyoming, Michigan . . . named first-team all-state as a senior in 2020 by the Detroit Free Press as an offensive lineman . . . ranked one of the top prospects in the Class of 2021 in the state of Michigan by ESPN.com (No. 12), Rivals (No. 13) and 247Sports (No. 17) . . . recorded 74 tackles, including 22 TFLs and 11 sacks, during his senior season . . . son of Rubin Buckley and Taquanta Smith.
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