Tyler Buchner confirms he'll transfer back to Notre Dame to play lacrosse after CFP

Tyler Buchner confirmed he would transfer back to Notre Dame, but to play lacrosse for the Fighting Irish, rather than quarterback once again.

However, Buchner won’t return to South Bend just yet. Despite backing up Jalen Milroe at Alabama, he wants to finish out his football career in the College Football Playoff.

Then, he’ll trade in his football helmet for a lacrosse one this spring and graduate from Notre Dame.

“I am excited to return to ND to play lacrosse and graduate in May,” Buchner wrote on Twitter. “Prior to that, I’ll be continuing my initial commitment to Alabama Football through the playoff and finishing what I started. I can’t thank everyone enough for their continued support.”

During two seasons playing QB for the Irish, Buchner appeared in 13 games and made three starts. He was named the starting quarterback for Notre Dame in 2022, before suffering an injury and being sidelined three games in.

Buchner appeared in two games for Alabama this past season, passing for 61 yards, while rushing for 20 yards and a touchdown.

On3’s Pete Nakos reported on Buchner’s ongoing portal story, joined Andy Staples to discuss what he heard on the Alabama quarterback prior to the official confirmation, and what went into him making this rather unprecedented decision.

“I think that he just wants to reassess and explore all options,” Nakos told Staples. “This season at Alabama definitely did not go as I think he envisioned and maybe some others envisioned, obviously. Jalen Milroe has been fantastic and Alabama is in the College Football Playoff now, largely because of his performance in the late stretch. But yeah, Tyler Buchner is going to be in the men’s lacrosse free agency market.

“And as funny as that is to say, I think it’s something he really wants to do. He is not going to rush this decision, but as Blue and Gold’s Mike Singer reported earlier tonight — and I have heard from some other people, too — [he could be] returning to Notre Dame being on the Fighting Irish is men’s lacrosse team. It would be a really good fit for Tyler.”

Buchner was actually committed to Michigan at one point for lacrosse, and was of the nation’s top recruits in the 2021 class. His commitment to the Wolverines came in April of 2017 when Buchner was in eighth grade, according to insidelacrosse.com’s Terry Foy.