J.D. PicKell: Tyler Buchner's biggest challenge at Alabama revealed

Former Notre Dame quarterback Tyler Buchner found his way to Alabama via the transfer portal but already has a big challenge.

On3’s J.D. PicKell broke down why Buchner could be behind the eight ball, but really due to no fault of his own. Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson got the jump start since they were already in the program.

PicKell noted how Buchner’s challenge to catch up in the quarterback race on The Hard Count.

“For Tyler Buchner, he’s obviously a good enough football player, otherwise Nick Saban and Tommy Rees would not have brought him in,” PicKell said. “He has some physical tools. He’s a good runner, a small sample size. He’s had some good games where he’s been a good passer.

“The key for me is does he win over the locker room? And I said the exact same thing when we were on the air on Thursday, but does he win over this locker room? Because Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson, to my understanding based on people close to that operation have told me, they have the locker room. That’s not to say Tyler Buchner can’t win over the locker room as well.”

Tyler Buchner embracing challenge at Alabama

Essentially, Buchner has to embrace the challenge to be Alabama’s starting quarterback. With the departure of Bryce Young to the NFL, the next one has to be built different.

“But whoever ends up being your starting quarterback at the University of Alabama, you can be the quarterback but you better also be the guy,” PicKell said. “We better rally around you when it’s fourth and one and we got to get a first down to win the game. You got to be the guy that we trust in the foxhole. And to be real, Ty Simpson and Jalen Milroe, they have gone through winter conditioning, they’ve gone through the grind of spring practice. They’ve paid their dues with this locker room. 

“Tyler Buchner now has four months to prove that he is the best option for you. Yes on the field, but also that he can be the guy in the foxhole that you want in that locker room as well. I have no reservations about Tyler Buchner being able to do that. I’m just saying the task before him is pretty large and the window he has to accomplish that task is a little bit smaller than you would prefer. But with all that being said, again, whoever wins this job, I promise you, it will be because they thrived in the competitive setting. And that’s the same competitive setting that you need your quarterback to thrive in when it comes to a real game in the fall.”

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Buchner has the challenge of fourth months to play catch up with his old offensive coordinator and new team setting. But Alabama’s quarterback room certainly improved with the late addition.