Bucky Irving Age & Biography

Bucky Irving ran for 170 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries on November 1, 2026, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers shut out the Atlanta Falcons 16–0 in a game where Tampa Bay completed zero passes. The 24-year-old running back, whose real name is Mar’Keise Irving, was a 2024 fourth-round pick who rushed for 1,122 yards as a rookie, and his performance against Atlanta showed why he is one of the NFL’s most exciting young running backs.

Quick Facts

Who Is Bucky Irving?

Bucky Irving, whose real name is Mar’Keise Irving, is an American professional football running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. Drafted in the fourth round, 125th overall, of the 2024 NFL draft, Irving rushed for 1,122 yards and eight touchdowns as a rookie, becoming the first Buccaneers rookie to rush for 1,000 or more yards since Doug Martin in 2012, and was named to the Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie Team.

Irving is known for his quickness, balance and ability to make defenders miss in tight spaces. Despite his smaller stature at 5 ft 9 in, he runs with power between the tackles and has become a central piece of Tampa Bay’s offense.

Early Life & Background

Mar’Keise Irving was born on August 19, 2002, in Chicago, Illinois. He attended Hillcrest High School in Country Club Hills, Illinois, where he finished his high school career with 3,264 rushing yards. He did not play his senior season in 2020 because the season was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Irving began his college career at the University of Minnesota in 2021, where he rushed for 699 yards and four touchdowns on 133 carries as a true freshman. He then transferred to the University of Oregon, where he rushed for 1,058 yards in 2022 and 1,180 yards with 11 touchdowns in 2023, earning second-team All-Pac-12 honors.

Career & Journey

Irving was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fourth round, 125th overall, of the 2024 NFL draft. As a rookie, he rushed for 1,122 yards and eight touchdowns, the first Buccaneers rookie to top 1,000 rushing yards since Doug Martin in 2012, and he set a franchise playoff record with 77 rushing yards against Washington.

Irving’s signature performance of the 2026 season came in Week 8, on November 1, when he carried 27 times for 170 yards and a touchdown in Tampa Bay’s 16–0 shutout win over the Atlanta Falcons. The Buccaneers won the game despite completing zero passes, as wet conditions turned the contest into a ground battle that Irving dominated.

Through Week 7 of the 2026 season, Irving had totaled 2,268 rushing yards at a 4.5-yard average with 13 rushing touchdowns in his NFL career, along with 95 receptions for 747 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns.

Facts About Bucky Irving

• Irving was the first Buccaneers rookie to rush for 1,000 or more yards since Doug Martin in 2012.
• He set a Tampa Bay franchise playoff record with 77 rushing yards against Washington as a rookie.
• Irving did not play his senior high school season in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• His 170 rushing yards against Atlanta on November 1, 2026, came in a game where Tampa Bay completed zero passes.
• Irving earned second-team All-Pac-12 honors at Oregon in 2023.

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