Not even the 110 degree desert heat can slow down the Oregon Ducks from successfully landing Arizona talent. Brandon Buckner, the Chandler Wolves' Class of 2021 3-star defensive end/outside-linebacker hybrid, took to Twitter to announce his commitment to the University of Oregon, becoming the 4th Arizona high school football player from the 2021 class to pledge their commitment to the Ducks.

"Oregon is definitely a special place," Buckner told ArizonaVarsity. "All around from the academics to the football is next level. They set you up and give you so many tools for you to (have) a successful life after football because football isn’t going to last for ever. Plus, they are recruiting the state of Arizona hard right now and just going up there with familiarity and the top players from AZ is amazing. I really like what they are building!"

Buckner had originally scheduled a commitment announcement the day of his birthday this upcoming September, but during the Covid-19 pandemic, those plans changed. Having visited the Eugene campus and the Oregon facilities in the past year played a huge factor in Buckner's final decision.

"You know during these tough times I was originally gonna wait until my birthday, but I felt like I needed to make a decision," said Buckner. "I wanted to see my options, but at the end of the day, I always knew that Oregon was the place for me. And it was a major advantage because I’ve been up there multiple times and I’ve always had that home feeling!"

The Oregon coaching staff is made up of some of the best recruiters in the country. Like other Arizona prospects who committed to the Ducks, another big factor that played in Buckner's decision was the relationship that Buckner had made with the Oregon staff and the family environment that was created.

"Man the relationships that we have are amazing," said Buckner. "The (Oregon) coaches really care about you on and off the field. It’s like a big family and we get along so well. And for their defense, they see fitting in as the boundary Outside Linebacker to the short side of the field. Coming off the edge and also playing in zone they can also move me around bc they like my ability to rush the passer and drop back and stop the run!"

"You know, (I've) been dreaming about this moment ever since I was a little kid, and now that I’m actually turning my dreams into reality, (it's) amazing," said Buckner. Never thought I would get to this point but I’m ready to get to work!!"

What makes Brandon Buckner a special football player?

"His diversity, he's diverse enough to be a rush man, diverse enough to be an outside linebacker, I even think he could played inside (linebacker) as well," said Chandler Wolves' Head Coach Rick Garretson. He'd do things at practice where as coaches, you would just say "woah." Things like, dropping back into coverage and leaping up in the air, making a great interception...Maxpreps has him as the #1 player in Arizona and I concur. Him being around the game since he was a little guy, all the things he learned from his father. (He has) an extremely high football IQ, glad he's on our side."

"His family, his faith, his relentless pursuit of greatness," said Chandler Wolves' defensive coordinator Andrew Knoche. "He has so much God given talent, but he out works everybody and is his hardest critic. He doesn’t boast about his stats and accomplishments, he’s very humble, but instead he talks about the handful of plays where he didn’t do his job. He wants to be pushed and coached as hard as possible, he calls me out if I’m not challenging him enough, because like he says, “it’s only going to get harder from here.”

2019 Season: Brandon Buckner missed Chandler’s first four games due to an ankle injury a week before their first game. Once he was finally able to suit up and play, Brandon Buckner wreaked havoc in opposing backfields, giving nightmares to every QB the Chandler defensive-end faced. Buckner finished the season with 53 total tackles, 24 tackles for loss, and 16 sacks. Buckner also picked off a pass and returned it in for a touchdown in the Wolves’ 42-35 State Championship win over Saguaro. Buckner was awarded the ArizonaVarsity 6A Defensive Lineman of the Year last season.

My Take: Brandon Buckner is one of the most ferocious and skilled edge rushers that I've seen in Arizona in the past couple seasons. Taking a look at his film, the thing that jumps out to me the most is how fundamentally sound he is. His first step is lightning fast causing him to consistently get past offensive tackles and split double teams. He’s a high motor player who possesses great lateral quickness. He has violent, quick hands that make him extremely hard to block for opposing tackles. Watch the play Buckner makes at the:47 mark. He doesn’t bite for the fake toss, he stays home and does a great job of squaring up his shoulder to the quarterback rolling out. He’s balanced and takes off like a rocket, pummeling the quarterback for a sack. That’s textbook right there. I expect him to make an immediate impact on the Oregon defense the second he steps onto campus in 2021.