Bucky Irving Addresses Hype For Second Season With Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The running back ran for 1,1222 yards and eight touchdowns on 207 carries last season. Even though Irving thrived in his rookie season, he doesn’t seem to be too concerned with the second-year hype he’s receiving.

“I don’t pay attention to all that,” Irving told the media after a July 25 practice. “I’m not a guy that’s stuck in the past like I always get up here and say none of that stuff matters what I did last year. It’s about what I could do right now, so I always had that mentality.”

When Irving was in college he got better every season. He similarly stood out as an offensive weapon during his freshman season with the Minnesota Gophers where he was second on the team in rushing.

But Irving one-upped himself when he transferred to Oregon in 2022 and earned a spot on the All-Pac-12 team. The running back was a vital part of the Ducks’ offense in Dan Lanning’s first two seasons with the program, tying the single-season program record for rushing yards as a sophomore and leading all FBS running backs in receptions as a junior.

The budding Buccaneers star seems committed to improving on his rookie season. He told the media that he stayed in Tampa to train in the offseason and continued to grow familiarity with his teammates.

"I pretty much say the difference is being able to know what to expect." Irving said about the difference between last offseason and now. "When you come here as a rookie, your head is spinning everywhere. You're trying to figure things out, learn from the older guys in front of you. I'm still leaning on the guys in my, Sean (Tucker), Rachaad (White), all of those guys. We're leaning on one another, keep getting better each and every day, not taking this game for granted and go out there and compete hard each and every day."

Former Ducks wide receiver Tez Johnson joins Irving on the Buccaneers in 2025. Johnson is in the position Irving was a year ago, looking to learn from the veteran players and impress during training camp.

The duo were teammates at Oregon in 2023. Tampa Bay drafted Johnson No. 235 in the seventh round back in April, reuniting the two.

“It’s a blessing,” Irving said about playing with Johnson again. “That’s a guy that works hard every day. I love him to death and just seeing him go out there and compete at a high level because I know what he wants out of this.”

Irving is set to start at running back for the Buccaneers in 2025, with Johnson currently projected to be a third-string receiver. Tampa Bay kicks off preseason action on Aug. 9 against the Tennessee Titans.