Deionte Buckley

Deionte Buckley
Position	RB
Height - Weight	5'9", 195 lbs
Hometown	Indianapolis, IN
High School	Warren Central
247 Sports	*** - 86
Rivals	*** - 5.5
ESPN	*** - 75
Scout	***

Buckley was the first recruit to commit to Cincinnati of the 2012 class and hails from Warren Central High School near Indianapolis, Indiana. That program is an absolute powerhouse in the state and Buckley is now the full time, starting running back for the 2011 team. Given his experience and running style, he should be fine to take the brunt of the loads this fall.

Overview

Just looking at his highlight reel you can see why he garnered such solid ratings from the four prominent recruiting sites. He’s only 5’9″ at best but carries his weight very well and can be characterized as more of a ‘bowling ball’ type back than anything. What I really like seeing out of him is that he appears to have very good vision which, out of the spread is important as Coach Butch Jones’ offense requires a lot of read-options and running plays that develop slowly. When he finds the hole in the offensive line he seems to have a good burst to get through the line and the size to shed arm tackles. In the open field he has very good front end speed to out run linebackers and some defensive backs. Overall, he’s a playmaker at the high school level and is a great pickup for the Bearcats.

Outlook

It’s clear that Buckley’s body is college-ready. But when he arrives in 2012 he’ll be sitting behind Jameel Poteat, Akise Teague, and Ralph David Abernathy on the depth chart all with college-level experience. Therefore, nothing against his skills but because of the depth at running back, he will be assigned a redshirt his freshman year. When he does hit the field in 2013, I feel like Buckley will push for starting time at either running back or returner.