Breaking down where Tyler Buchner stands in QB battle following USF performance

Alabama‘s quarterback rotation continues as the Crimson Tide look for quality play at the position in the 2023 season. So far it hasn’t gone well, with Tyler Buchner the latest to get the starting nod..

The Notre Dame transfer started the USF game but was lifted after looking downright rattled.

“I was surprised that Tyler seemed to struggle with nerves as much as he did in that game Saturday, because again this is a guy coming from Notre Dame,” said BOL’s Travis Reier on the Andy Staples On3 show. “He’s made some starts in some big spots at one of the preeminent programs in all of college football, and it just seemed like he was unsettled from the start, not so much in terms of how he administered the offense or carried things out from a management perspective, but just some throw-and-catch situations. Hitches. And they weren’t just off a little bit, they were off a lot.”

Tyler Buchner finished 5-of-14 passing for just 34 yards. He failed to throw for a touchdown and ran just twice for 11 yards. Eventually he made way for another option as Alabama struggled to move the ball against USF.

Nothing seemed to work for Buchner.

“Then when he had opportunities down the field in the second quarter it felt like he really needed to hit on those, and Nick (Saban) pretty much told us the same thing about (Jalen) Milroe there late in the second quarter, into the third quarter at Texas. If he hadn’t gotten things going the hook was probably coming for Milroe at that point.”

Saban clearly doesn’t mind switching quarterbacks at this point, looking for something, anything that works at this point.

To Reier, the question is more whether the quarterbacks are being put in a position to succeed. That’s a valid question at this point.

The Alabama analyst had some ideas on what that might look like.

“I think also what you’re asking him to do, is he really confident in his ability to carry that out?” Reier said. “If you’re going to ask them to drop back, just drop back and deliver from the pocket on a consistent basis, for me I don’t think that plays into their strengths.

“I think they almost have to be more along the lines of a Sam Hartman or one of these guys that you can get going in zone read type concepts and then create some windows and some easier throws from that perspective. Get them on the move. Get these guys moving, too.”