Marcus Freeman reacts to former Notre Dame QB Tyler Buchner's commitment to Alabama

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman has reacted to former Irish quarterback Tyler Buchner committing to Alabama.

Freeman appeared on NFL Network, where he reacted to Buchner’s decision by wishing him the best of luck.

Watch Marcus Freeman react to Tyler Buchner moving on, here:

Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman on QB ⁦@tylerbuchner⁩ announcing his transfer to Alabama.
⁦@nflnetwork⁩ pic.twitter.com/dOozJbFEI4

— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) April 27, 2023

“Oh, we love Tyler,” Marcus Freeman said. “Wish him the best of luck. When he made his decision going to the portal, I told him, ‘I’m always a fan of yours.’ And I look forward to seeing the success he has at his next program.”

Notre Dame brought in Wake Forest transfer Sam Hartman during the offseason, presumably to take over as the starting quarterback. Once spring ball was over, Tyler Buchner made his decision to move on, eventually choosing to go to Alabama, following his offensive coordinator Tommy Rees.

Rees was Buchner’s offensive coordinator during his first two years of college. Together, Buchner showed promise but missed time due to injuries. At Alabama, Buchner is expected to compete for the starting job after the Crimson Tide’s quarterbacks struggled in the spring game.

As for Notre Dame, Marcus Freeman is turning to Sam Hartman to try and take a step forward in his second season as the head coach in South Bend.

What Alabama is getting in Tyler Buchner

The big question for Alabama, now, is what exactly are the Crimson Tide getting in Tyler Buchner? On3’s Matt Zenitz spoke to a coaching source who explained what to expect from Buchner.

“I think the offense needs to fit him. I think he has the ability. I think he’s really good at running the ball. He’s very athletic and very quick. He makes people miss in space. He can definitely hurt you with his legs. I think he has the arm strength and everything to make the throws. He’s just very inconsistent and sometimes he makes decisions that you’re just like, ‘What are you doing?’ And I don’t know if the system [at Notre Dame] necessarily fit him,” the coach said.

“I think he excels being able to use his legs, get in space and add that kind of element to the game. I think that’s what kind of helps him and makes him feel more comfortable because you could even see in the bowl game when he ran a Q counter down near the goal line and he takes off and scores. That’s his forte. I think that’s where he excels is being able to use his legs to beat defenders and create space and extend plays. I don’t think it’s best to ask him to sit back and sit in the pocket and be like a pro-style quarterback.”