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Nebraska adds prep ATH Marques Buford Jr.

Over the last few years, Marques Buford has lived in both Chicago and Dallas, and he expects to move to Connecticut next month. Now, Buford has his collegiate home determined as well, after announcing a commitment Saturday afternoon.

“My choice for the next 3-4 years was the University of Nebraska,” Buford said. “I feel like that was the best choice for me in my second recruiting process, I’ll say. The coaches have really done everything in their power to build, not only a great relationship with me, but with my parents as well.

“Throughout this process usually it was coaches only speaking to me. The way (Nebraska) made my parents feel and the welcome that they made our whole family feel, I think that was the biggest thing for choosing Nebraska as my new home.”

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After announcing his plans to do a prep year in 2021, Buford added offers from the likes of Cal, Iowa State, Pittsburgh and Texas A&M. A May offer from Nebraska, where his friend Alante Brown signed on to play as part of the 2020 class, was an opportunity Buford could not pass up.

“It was crazy how perfectly Nebraska fit into everything I wanted to do with my life,” Buford said. “Their Business School is ranked amongst the top business programs in the whole country. Warren Buffett actually attended Nebraska. While we were doing our research on it, the facilities are brand new and it’s literally beautiful inside and out. That was a huge piece of it, especially for my mom. She loved every part of it.”

Since in-person contact between coaches and prospective student-athletes are currently prohibited by the NCAA’s dead period rules, Buford had to find another way to explore the campus and community in Lincoln.

“We went as a family this past weekend just so we could get a feel for how it would impact me living there,” Buford said. “We felt very welcomed just by the townspeople. They were so nice and generous, and that is definitely a place I would love to be even if I didn’t play football.”

Throughout his high school career Buford has been a standout on both sides of the football, and he may get the chance to continue those two-way talents at Nebraska.

“Speaking with the coaches, they want me to play predominantly defense,” Buford said. “They said they are going to utilize my skills as an athlete to play virtually anywhere on the field that I am needed it as far as whatever the scheme is that week. I have even been talking to a couple of offensive coaches and they’ve said they would love for me to have some packages where I can get it and utilize my skills with the ball in my hand.”

Buford graduated from Trinity Christian High School in Cedar Hill, Tex., this past spring, but plans to do a prep school year at St. Thomas More School in Oakdale, Conn., assuming there is a football season this fall.

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