Buckhaulter believes he’s made for air-raid offense
For nearly a full year, Brandon Buckhaulter was verbally committed to Ole Miss. Then, this past February, the wide receiver out of Hartfield Academy in Flowood, flipped his pledge to Mississippi State.
So what made Buckhaulter, one of the state of Mississippi’s top receivers, decide it was Starkville that was his best match? It came down to fit and family he said.
“In my family, all of us play receiver,” Buckhaulter told Cowbell Corner on Thursday. “And the dream is to be in an air-raid type of offense. But you know, not everyone is made for it. I really think I’m made for an air-raid type of offense.
“It also has to do with my cousin, (Mississippi State receiver) Malik Heath. We always wanted to play together growing up and I think this is a big opportunity for us.”
Putting up big numbers as a receiver is indeed in Buckhaulter’s blood. His uncle, Darvin Adams, was one of the best wideouts in the Southeastern Conference and helped Auburn win the national title back in 2010.
“Now he’s in the CFL, but he started the receiving thing for all of us and we’re just picking up where he left off,” Buckhaulter said of Adams.
Now, Buckhaulter has his eyes set on being the next star of the family and thinks MSU gives him a great chance to do just that with head coach Mike Leach’s pass-happy style.
Buckhaulter has certainly shown great promise on the high school level. Last year, as a junior, he caught 35 passes for 687 yards and 10 touchdowns. Now, with just a few months before his senior year begins, he’s rated as a four-star prospect by ESPN, a three-star prospect by both 247Sports and Rivals and sits ranked anywhere from the state’s sixth-best prospect to 11th-best, depending on which outlet you look at.
Buckhaulter is hoping it won’t be long before he can prove just how good he believes he is. He wants to be an early enrollee when he starts his college career, but does note the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has put up some hurdles as he tries to accomplish that.
“My counselor at my school is trying to get everything situated now,” Buckhaulter said. “I was supposed to start these classes early, but (the coronavirus situation) happened so that kind of banged them up. So she’s getting information on the classes I need this summer and I can be able to graduate early.”
As of this moment, it looks like Buckhaulter’s desire is to go from his graduation right to the Bulldogs. But given that he has changed his mind before, could he possibly do so again?
Buckhaulter does still have multiple offers on the table. In addition to Mississippi State and Ole Miss, fellow SEC West school Arkansas, as well as other non-SEC schools, have also reportedly offered.
Buckhaulter noted that Ole Miss remains in contact with him despite him recently turning his attention to the Bulldogs.
“Ole Miss, they still text me and call me every once in awhile to check up on me,” Buckhaulter said. “One thing they did tell me was that they weren’t going to give up on me.”
It remains to be seen how the process will play out in the end. As of now though, Buckhaulter emphasizes he likes Mississippi State’s “energetic” coaching staff, Leach’s air-raid philosophy and the chance to play alongside Heath. All that excites Buckhaulter, even as he admits he’s not totally closing the door on anything.
“I’m kind of 100 percent committed, but my options are still open,” Buckhaulter said. “I don’t want to give up too soon. It’s just wherever God leads me to.”
