Indiana University Athletics
Planned Or Not, Camron Buckley Poised For IU Impact
6/16/2021 12:00:00 PM | Football
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Forget planning. Camron Buckley is too busy taking advantage of life's twists and turns.
Take, for instance, moving from Texas A&M to Indiana.
The wide receiver had wrapped up spring practice for the Aggies. He was, he says, "95 percent" back from a knee injury that cost him the entire 2020 season, and looking for a new opportunity.
In this whole new college athletics world, that meant entering the transfer portal. When Buckley came out of the portal, this one-time four-star Texas high school prospect was a Hoosier.
"I never planned on anything," Buckley says via recent Zoom press conference opportunity. "Life just happens. I take what life gives me and let it roll. Go with it."
This roll will have him going from SEC competition to that from the Big Ten, and if you think that's a major adjustment, well, Buckley won't over-think it.
"Football is football at the end of the day. Just getting out there and doing my thing. It's not an adjustment. It's just doing the work."
Buckley is the newest addition to a loaded receiving corps that should rank among the Big Ten's best. That means nothing will be given, everything will be earned. Receivers coach Grant Heard is known for maximizing his players talents, and it doesn't come by making it easy on them.
Buckley wouldn't want it any other way.
"It will be competition everywhere," he says. "I've never been one to shy away from competition. I come from a competition high school (Cedar Hill). Competition is in me."
So is confidence. Buckley, a fifth-year senior with a surgically repaired knee, knows he faces a playing-time challenge just as he knows he didn't come this far from home to stand on the sidelines.
"I wouldn't have come here if I didn't feel like I would get high reps or not have an opportunity to start. That would have been a bad business decision. I educated this move, precisely."
Education meant understanding the competition. The Hoosiers are led by Big Ten receiver of the year Ty Fryfogle (37 catches, 721 yards, 7 touchdowns), promising young talent in Jacolby Hewitt, Javon Swinton and David Ellis, and Florida State transfer D.J. Matthews.
Don't forget tight end Peyton Hendershot, who totaled 23 catches for 151 yards and four touchdowns.
This was exactly what Buckley was looking for.
"It was a business decision," he says about his transfer decision. "I still love College Station. I still love A&M and the coaching staff, but IU was the best fit for me."
Fit will likely include the chance to play outside receiver, something that rarely happened at Texas A&M.
"I was an outside receiver coming into college," he says. "I had the skill set to play outside. I wanted to display that more."
A big factor in choosing IU was the presence of quarterback Michael Penix Jr., coming off his own knee surgery, but expected to be at full, difference-making strength (see his game-winning overtime two-conversion to beat Penn State as Exhibit No. 1).
Buckley knew about Penix, knew about a pass-friendly attack poised to take off under second-year offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan, knew about the potential in a program coming off consecutive bowl appearances.
"I love the offense and what this team is doing," Buckley says. "I love what Coach Allen is doing, what Coach Heard is doing with the receiver corp. We have a great quarterback coming back. To be a part of this offense means a lot. I'm going to make the best of it."
Buckley knew Heard from high school. Heard was the receivers coach at Ole Miss and recruited Buckley.
"We had a good relationship," Buckley says, "so I had familiarity with the coaching staff."
Familiarity bred respect. Buckley had seen a couple of Indiana games from last year. He saw a more pass-oriented Hoosier attack compared to Texas A&M's pro style. He also saw a chance to expand his game by playing inside or outside receiver.
Even as an inside receiver, Buckley stretched defenses at Texas A&M by averaging 14.1 yards on 62 career receptions over 39 games and three years.
"I have the versatility to play both," he says. "I'd say I'll be outside with the opportunity to go inside, which is the opposite of what it was like at A&M. I was predominantly inside with the ability to go outside."
His best year at Texas A&M came as a sophomore, when he caught 34 passes for 474 yards and a touchdown. He burned then No. 2 Clemson with four catches for a career-high 93 yards, including a 60-yarder.
As far as his recovery from the knee injury, Buckley says, "I'm back 95 percent. I'm getting back to working without the brace. I feel real good."
Buckley says he's getting used to his fellow receivers as well as a new offense.
"I work out with them every day. I'm getting adjusted to the offense. I'm having fun out there having a chance to compete with them."
He didn't plan this, but he's poised to make the most of it.
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Forget planning. Camron Buckley is too busy taking advantage of life's twists and turns.
Take, for instance, moving from Texas A&M to Indiana.
The wide receiver had wrapped up spring practice for the Aggies. He was, he says, "95 percent" back from a knee injury that cost him the entire 2020 season, and looking for a new opportunity.
In this whole new college athletics world, that meant entering the transfer portal. When Buckley came out of the portal, this one-time four-star Texas high school prospect was a Hoosier.
"I never planned on anything," Buckley says via recent Zoom press conference opportunity. "Life just happens. I take what life gives me and let it roll. Go with it."
This roll will have him going from SEC competition to that from the Big Ten, and if you think that's a major adjustment, well, Buckley won't over-think it.
"Football is football at the end of the day. Just getting out there and doing my thing. It's not an adjustment. It's just doing the work."
Buckley is the newest addition to a loaded receiving corps that should rank among the Big Ten's best. That means nothing will be given, everything will be earned. Receivers coach Grant Heard is known for maximizing his players talents, and it doesn't come by making it easy on them.
Buckley wouldn't want it any other way.
"It will be competition everywhere," he says. "I've never been one to shy away from competition. I come from a competition high school (Cedar Hill). Competition is in me."
So is confidence. Buckley, a fifth-year senior with a surgically repaired knee, knows he faces a playing-time challenge just as he knows he didn't come this far from home to stand on the sidelines.
"I wouldn't have come here if I didn't feel like I would get high reps or not have an opportunity to start. That would have been a bad business decision. I educated this move, precisely."
Education meant understanding the competition. The Hoosiers are led by Big Ten receiver of the year Ty Fryfogle (37 catches, 721 yards, 7 touchdowns), promising young talent in Jacolby Hewitt, Javon Swinton and David Ellis, and Florida State transfer D.J. Matthews.
Don't forget tight end Peyton Hendershot, who totaled 23 catches for 151 yards and four touchdowns.
This was exactly what Buckley was looking for.
"It was a business decision," he says about his transfer decision. "I still love College Station. I still love A&M and the coaching staff, but IU was the best fit for me."
Fit will likely include the chance to play outside receiver, something that rarely happened at Texas A&M.
"I was an outside receiver coming into college," he says. "I had the skill set to play outside. I wanted to display that more."
A big factor in choosing IU was the presence of quarterback Michael Penix Jr., coming off his own knee surgery, but expected to be at full, difference-making strength (see his game-winning overtime two-conversion to beat Penn State as Exhibit No. 1).
Buckley knew about Penix, knew about a pass-friendly attack poised to take off under second-year offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan, knew about the potential in a program coming off consecutive bowl appearances.
"I love the offense and what this team is doing," Buckley says. "I love what Coach Allen is doing, what Coach Heard is doing with the receiver corp. We have a great quarterback coming back. To be a part of this offense means a lot. I'm going to make the best of it."
Buckley knew Heard from high school. Heard was the receivers coach at Ole Miss and recruited Buckley.
"We had a good relationship," Buckley says, "so I had familiarity with the coaching staff."
Familiarity bred respect. Buckley had seen a couple of Indiana games from last year. He saw a more pass-oriented Hoosier attack compared to Texas A&M's pro style. He also saw a chance to expand his game by playing inside or outside receiver.
Even as an inside receiver, Buckley stretched defenses at Texas A&M by averaging 14.1 yards on 62 career receptions over 39 games and three years.
"I have the versatility to play both," he says. "I'd say I'll be outside with the opportunity to go inside, which is the opposite of what it was like at A&M. I was predominantly inside with the ability to go outside."
His best year at Texas A&M came as a sophomore, when he caught 34 passes for 474 yards and a touchdown. He burned then No. 2 Clemson with four catches for a career-high 93 yards, including a 60-yarder.
As far as his recovery from the knee injury, Buckley says, "I'm back 95 percent. I'm getting back to working without the brace. I feel real good."
Buckley says he's getting used to his fellow receivers as well as a new offense.
"I work out with them every day. I'm getting adjusted to the offense. I'm having fun out there having a chance to compete with them."
He didn't plan this, but he's poised to make the most of it.
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