BuccaneersFan.com • Player Spotlight • No. 7
Photo: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Running back • Active
Quick feet. Tough yards.
Mar’Keise “Bucky” Irving
- Born
- August 19, 2002
- Hometown
- Chicago, Illinois
- Listed size
- 5 feet 10 inches • 195 pounds
- High school
- Hillcrest • Country Club Hills, Illinois
- College
- Minnesota, 2021
Oregon, 2022–2023 - NFL Draft
- 2024 • Round 4 • Pick 125
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - NFL career
- Tampa Bay, 2024–present
- Current chapter
- Third Buccaneers season in 2026
Profile: Buccaneers biography and Minnesota biography. Rookie achievements: PFWA All-Rookie announcement.
Give Bucky a crease.
A running back’s opportunity can disappear in a heartbeat. Bucky Irving makes his living in that heartbeat—finding a crease, changing direction and turning a defender’s first chance into a missed one.
Tampa Bay selected him in the fourth round of the 2024 draft to strengthen its backfield. By the end of that season, he had become the Buccaneers’ first 1,000-yard rusher since Doug Martin in 2015 and earned a place on the PFWA All-Rookie Team. Draft report • 1,000-yard milestone.
An injury-interrupted second season brought a different challenge. His 2026 return has supplied fresh highlights, including a career-high 170 rushing yards against Atlanta on November 1. The story is still developing; all current-season statistics on this page stop at that game. Recovery and return • Week 8 recap.
The Buccaneers chapter
2024–present: making every opportunity count
Irving has contributed on the ground and through the air throughout his Tampa Bay career. Yards from scrimmage combine those two forms of production; kickoff returns are recorded separately.
| Season | G | GS | Team W–L | Rush yds | Rec yds | Scrim. yds | TD | Season finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 17 | 3 | 10–7 | 1,122 | 392 | 1,514 | 8 | NFC South champions; wild-card round |
| 2025 | 10 | 9 | 8–9 | 588 | 277 | 865 | 4 | Missed playoffs |
| 2026 * | 8 | 8 | 3–5 | 728 | 78 | 806 | 6 | In progress through Week 8 |
*2026 is in progress through November 1. G = games played; GS = games started; Scrim. yds = rushing plus receiving yards; TD = rushing plus receiving touchdowns. Team W–L covers every Buccaneers game, including games Irving missed. On smaller screens, swipe or scroll across the table; keyboard users can focus the table area and use the arrow keys.
Sources: Buccaneers statistics for 2024 and 2025, plus Irving’s current profile and game log.
2024 A rookie breakthrough.
Irving rushed for 1,122 yards and eight touchdowns while adding 47 receptions for 392 yards. He led NFL rookies in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns and yards from scrimmage.
His 5.4 yards per carry set a Buccaneers single-season record among players with at least 100 attempts. The PFWA All-Rookie selection recognized a debut season that gave Tampa Bay a new source of offense. Rookie-season honors.
2025 Injuries, rehabilitation and a return.
Foot and shoulder injuries suffered in Week Four led to a seven-game absence. Irving returned against Arizona on November 30, contributing 81 yards from scrimmage and a rushing touchdown in a 20–17 win.
He finished the season with 588 rushing yards, 277 receiving yards and four combined touchdowns in 10 appearances. His shoulder required surgery during the offseason. Return against Arizona • Offseason recovery.
2026 Building momentum again.
Cleared for unrestricted work at the opening of training camp, Irving began his third NFL season with a fresh opportunity to contribute. Through Week Eight, he has 728 rushing yards, 78 receiving yards and six combined touchdowns.
His October 8 game at Dallas produced 165 rushing yards and both a rushing and receiving touchdown. On November 1, he raised his career rushing best to 170 yards against Atlanta. Official game log.
November 1, 2026 • Raymond James Stadium
A career day in the rain
Week 8 • Final
16 – 0
TAMPA BAY / ATLANTA
Heavy rain. Hard-earned yards.
A career high for No. 7.
27 CARRIES • 170 YARDS • 1 TD
6.3 yards per carry • Long run: 46 yards
Career highs in rushing yards and carries
The afternoon began with a costly mistake: Irving lost a fumble near the goal line. He responded with the biggest rushing performance of his NFL career through this date.
A 46-yard run helped set up his four-yard touchdown in the third quarter. That score was the game’s only touchdown as Tampa Bay beat Atlanta 16–0 in heavy rain without completing a pass.
Irving supplied 170 yards, while Kenny Gainwell added 140 of his own. It was a shared commitment to the ground game, with Bucky delivering a memorable personal best.
Sources: official Week 8 recap and Irving’s game log. All career-high references are as of November 1, 2026.
Chicago roots • A college journey west
The road that brought Bucky to the Bay
Hillcrest to Minnesota
Irving attended Hillcrest High School in Country Club Hills, Illinois, where he played football and basketball. He began his college career at Minnesota in 2021.
As a freshman, he rushed for 699 yards and four touchdowns and led the Gophers in all-purpose yards. He closed the season with 129 rushing yards in Minnesota’s bowl victory over West Virginia, then transferred to Oregon.
Source: University of Minnesota biography.
Two 1,000-yard seasons at Oregon
Irving rushed for 1,058 yards in 2022 and 1,180 in 2023. His final college season also included 56 catches, the most among FBS running backs, and second-team All-Pac-12 recognition.
He was the offensive MVP of the 2022 Holiday Bowl after running for 149 yards and two touchdowns. His versatility even extended to throwing: against Colorado that November, he delivered an 18-yard touchdown pass to quarterback Bo Nix.
Sources: University of Oregon biography and Oregon’s 2023 season and academic honors report.
Fourth round. First-rate opportunity.
The Buccaneers selected Irving with the 125th pick on April 27, 2024. They had brought him in for a pre-draft visit and saw a player who could add competition and another option alongside Rachaad White. His rookie production quickly showed what that opportunity could become.
Source: Tampa Bay’s draft-day report.
The numbers behind No. 7
Career statistics & honors
Through Week Eight of 2026, Irving has accumulated 2,438 rushing yards, 747 receiving yards and 18 touchdowns from scrimmage in 35 regular-season appearances. His playoff production is listed separately.
| Scope | G | GS | Rush yds | Rush TD | Rec | Rec yds | Rec TD | Scrim. yds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular season, 2024–2025 | 27 | 12 | 1,710 | 9 | 77 | 669 | 3 | 2,379 |
| Regular season, through Nov. 1, 2026 | 35 | 20 | 2,438 | 14 | 95 | 747 | 4 | 3,185 |
| Postseason, 2024 season | 1 | 1 | 77 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 83 |
G = games played; GS = games started; Rec = receptions. Scrimmage yards combine rushing and receiving yards. The two regular-season rows are overlapping snapshots: the current career total already includes 2024–2025.
Sources: official career statistics and 2024 postseason statistics.
Honors along the way
- 2024 PFWA All-Rookie Team.
- NFC Offensive Player of the Week: Week 13, 2024.
- 2023 first-team Academic All-American at Oregon.
- 2023 second-team All-Pac-12 and 2022 Holiday Bowl offensive MVP.
Buccaneers milestones
- 1,122 rookie rushing yards: NFL rookie leader in 2024.
- 1,514 rookie scrimmage yards: NFL rookie leader in 2024.
- First playoff touchdown: receiving score against Washington, January 12, 2025.
- 170 rushing yards: career best against Atlanta, November 1, 2026.
Honors: the PFWA announcement, Player of the Week announcement and Oregon reports linked above. Academic All-America recognizes achievement in the classroom and on the field.
Regular-season rushing • 2024–2026
| Season | G | GS | Att | Yards | Avg | Long | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 17 | 3 | 207 | 1,122 | 5.4 | 56 | 8 |
| 2025 | 10 | 9 | 173 | 588 | 3.4 | 32 | 1 |
| 2026 * | 8 | 8 | 147 | 728 | 5.0 | 72 | 5 |
| Career | 35 | 20 | 527 | 2,438 | 4.6 | 72 | 14 |
*2026 is in progress through November 1. Att = rushing attempts; Avg = yards per carry; Long = longest run; TD = rushing touchdowns. Career averages are calculated from total yards and attempts, rather than averaging the season averages.
Sources: Buccaneers career rushing table and games and starts.
Regular-season receiving • 2024–2026
| Season | Targets | Rec | Yards | Avg | Long | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 52 | 47 | 392 | 8.3 | 42 | 0 |
| 2025 | 35 | 30 | 277 | 9.2 | 72 | 3 |
| 2026 * | 23 | 18 | 78 | 4.3 | 22 | 1 |
| Career | 110 | 95 | 747 | 7.9 | 72 | 4 |
Targets = passes directed to Irving; Rec = catches; Avg = yards per reception; Long = longest reception. The career average uses 747 receiving yards divided by 95 receptions. *2026 is through November 1.
Sources: Buccaneers receiving statistics and NFL receiving and target statistics.
Scrimmage yards, returns & ball security
| Season | Touches | Scrim. yds | Yds/touch | Total TD | FUM | Lost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 254 | 1,514 | 6.0 | 8 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 203 | 865 | 4.3 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| 2026 * | 165 | 806 | 4.9 | 6 | 3 | 2 |
| Career | 622 | 3,185 | 5.1 | 18 | 6 | 4 |
Touches = rushing attempts plus receptions. Scrim. yds = rushing plus receiving yards; Total TD = rushing plus receiving touchdowns; FUM = all fumbles; Lost = fumbles lost. Kickoff returns are excluded from touches and scrimmage yards. *2026 is through November 1.
Kickoff returns: Irving returned six kickoffs for 176 yards in 2024, averaging 29.3 yards with a long of 46 and no touchdowns. He has no additional NFL kickoff returns through the current cutoff.
Source: official return and all-fumbles tables. Rushing-only fumbles are a narrower category than the all-fumbles totals shown here.
Postseason • Washington wild-card game
| Game date | Opp. | Result | Rush att. | Rush yds | Rush TD | Rec | Rec yds | Rec TD | Scrim. yds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-01-12 | WAS | L 20–23 | 17 | 77 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 83 |
Irving’s playoff debut brought 77 rushing yards and a receiving touchdown in Tampa Bay’s 23–20 loss to Washington. It remains his only postseason appearance through November 1, 2026.
The game was played on January 12, 2025, as part of the 2024 postseason. WAS = Washington Commanders; the score in the table shows Tampa Bay first. Irving had no fumbles or kickoff returns in this game.
Sources: Buccaneers 2024 postseason statistics and official 2024 game log.
A family nickname • Learning • Community
Beyond the backfield
His full name is Mar’Keise Irving. His late father, Marcellus, gave him the nickname Bucky—a family connection carried into his football career. Official player biography.
At Oregon, Irving’s accomplishments extended into the classroom. He earned first-team Academic All-America honors for 2023, becoming the first Oregon running back to receive that distinction. The university reported a 3.63 cumulative GPA in family and human services when it announced the award in January 2024. Academic award announcement.
Recognition in the classroom. Oregon announced Irving’s first-team Academic All-America selection alongside quarterback Bo Nix. University announcement.
Supporting the next generation. Irving coached and encouraged young players at the Buccaneers’ Girls Flag Football Preseason Classic. Official event video • Event photographs.
- March 2025
A Giving Bowl teammate. Irving represented After-School All-Stars Tampa Bay in the Baker & Emily Mayfield Foundation’s fundraising competition. The charity received $10,000 from the foundation. Giving Bowl results.
Sources & statistical notes
Published November 2, 2026. Regular-season figures include games completed through November 1, 2026; the 2026 season is unfinished. Postseason figures cover the January 12, 2025 game against Washington. Tampa Bay did not qualify for the playoffs after the 2025 season.
- Player information: Buccaneers biography and the 2025 Buccaneers media guide for date of birth. Height and weight follow the current team roster; hometown and school location follow Minnesota’s biography.
- Statistics: official team season tables, player career tables and NFL receiving statistics linked above. Averages are rounded to one decimal place from the underlying totals. Career totals do not combine regular-season and playoff production.
- Yardage definitions: scrimmage yards are rushing plus receiving yards. Kickoff-return yards are separate. The all-fumbles category includes fumbles beyond those recorded on rushing attempts.
- College and academics: University of Minnesota and University of Oregon biographies and Oregon’s January 2024 Academic All-America announcement.
- NFL milestones and community: Buccaneers draft, award, recovery, game and community reports, plus the Baker & Emily Mayfield Foundation’s Giving Bowl announcement.