Former Nebraska DL Ru'Quan Buckley commits to Michigan State

Former Nebraska defensive lineman Ru’Quan Buckley committed to Michigan State out of the transfer portal, per On3’s Hayes Fawcett.

In 2023 as a redshirt freshman, he played in eight games on the defensive line. Buckley had a quarterback hurry against Louisiana Tech and tallied a solo tackle against the Michigan Wolverines.

Late in the season, he switched from the defensive line to the offensive line, so we’ll see where the coaching staff at his new school decides to put him.

In 2022, Buckley did not play in any games but traveled with the team. In 2021, he appeared in one game, playing on the defensive line in the ‘Huskers win over Fordham.

As a member of the Class of 2021, Buckley was a three-star recruit out of Wyoming (Mich.) Godwin Heights Senior, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He was the No. 15 overall prospect in the state, the No. 53 defensive lineman in the class and the No. 593 overall prospect in the class.

Before joining the Cornhuskers, Buckley became just the fourth Michigan native to join the Nebraska program since 1974. He was a star offensive and defensive lineman for Godwin Heights High School (Michigan). At the time of enrollment, he was the youngest member of the Nebraska recruiting class, only turning 18 two months into his freshman campaign.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. 

Ru’Quan Buckley commits to Michigan State

Buckley is a solid addition to Michigan State for new head coach Jonathan Smith. Smith is someone Greg McElroy called one of the best hires of the offseason.

“I think this is as good of a hire as we’ve seen in the sport this year,” McElroy stated. “You look at just rank the hires, right? Jonathan Smith and Kalen DeBoer, to me, are, like, 1a and 1b. I love this hire for Michigan State.”

“(Smith) has done a great job of keeping a keen eye on the under the radar talent. He understands the player development piece. He also won at a program at Oregon State that most people thought was a very difficult place to consistently find success.”