Tyler Buchner adds ‘jittery’ legs, consistency to Alabama offense

Tyler Buchner could end up being the guy for Alabama under center and if he is, he’ll add consistency to the offense, according to On3’s J.D. PicKell.

Buchner has all of the right tools for a quarterback. That could bode quite well for him as the Crimson Tide’s signal caller, should he be named the starter.

PicKell described the intangibles and ability of Buchner to measure up to other quarterbacks on the roster.

“So what does Tyler Buchner bring to the table,” PicKell said on The Hard Count. “What does he do? Well, one of the things that jumps off the tape when you watch him, he is jittery. Is he Lamar Jackson kind of fast … probably not. But he’s very quick, especially on the quarterback design runs. You see sort of the read option game, the RPO game … He hits that hole hard. Having a quarterback that’s able to help you in those design quarterback runs, that could be a part of Alabama’s offense this coming season. 

“That’s why a lot of people in the Alabama circles are Jalen Milroe fans. I think for Tyler Buchner, you don’t have the same athleticism or physical gifts as a Jalen Milroe when it comes to running the football, but still a very serviceable runner and also a pretty decent thrower of the ball as well.”

If Buchner can cater to his teammate’s strengths and win over the locker room, it might be a done deal.

“Like a big conversation with Tyler Buchner joining Alabama’s the conversation around how long does it take for him to win over the locker room,” PicKell said. “How does it go about doing that with Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson have a much more of an opportunity to do that over the longer period of time. Tyler Buchner, if he plays like he did in that Gator Bowl, where he just gets up after taking hit after hit after hit, that’s going to win the admiration of his teammates.”

In his career, Buchner tossed for 949 yards on 67-118 passing (56.8%), six touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also added 459 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on the ground.

As a member of the Class of 2021, Buchner was a four-star recruit out of La Jolla (Calif.) Helix, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He was the No. 8 overall prospect in the state, the No. 14 quarterback in the class and the No. 94 overall prospect in the class.