Nebraska Football: Marques Buford Jr. to miss start of fall camp

Nebraska football will be down a man as they begin fall camp this week. Marques Buford Jr. suffered a season-ending knee injury last season and will not be ready for fall camp, according to multiple media reports.

Buford had a solid season in 2022. He recorded 59 tackles and two interceptions on the year. His best game came against Georgia Southern on September 10. In that game, he recorded five tackles and two interceptions. He was able to assert himself defensively, and become a key part of the Nebraska football defense prior to his injury.

This is certainly a difficult piece of news. He was projected to be Nebraska football’s starting free safety.

Marques Buford Jr., who suffered a season ending knee injury last season, will NOT be ready for fall camp, according to Coach Rhule. pic.twitter.com/AKXSpwEJUd

— 247Huskers (@247Huskers) July 27, 2023

Nebraska football needs others to step up

However, the program has other players that can step up in his absence. Myles Farmer is a name that has experience and ability of the position. Farmer played well last season, as he recorded 38 tackles and an interception last season. He has been with Nebraska football since the 2019 season, and is a veteran in a secondary that needs veteran pieces.

It is not like the cupboard is totally bare at the position. It does make things a little bit more difficult, but the Huskers have the depth to overcome this. Nebraska football is thin at some positions, but safety is not one of them. That is certainly a silver lining in a situation like this.

With that being said, it’s better that he takes his time to heal, then rush back. Buford will be a key defensive pillar for the future of Nebraska football. He had an upward trajectory last season, and it should only continue to rise when he is healthy and back out on the field.

This was an unfortunate development during Thursday’s Big Ten Media Day. With that being said, Nebraska football does have pieces in place to offset the impact of Buford’s absence.