Notre Dame insider reveals why Drew Pyne entered the NCAA Transfer Portal

Drew Pyne’s career with the Fighting Irish is over. After spending three seasons with Notre Dame, he announced his intentions today to enter the transfer portal. He finally earned the starting job this season after Tyler Buchner’s season-ending injury. Now, it appears their breakup was caused by the program’s alleged interest in another QB.

Per Pete Sampson of The Athletic, the team reportedly told Pyne about their intentions to look around the portal themselves for a new quarterback. He mentions a chance Pyne competes for the job again in the spring. Considering all things, though, it seems he’s focused on finding snaps for next season elsewhere.

“Notre Dame informed Pyne the program planned to take a quarterback transfer this offseason,” said Sampson in a reply on Twitter to Dan Orlovsky. “(He) could compete for the job in spring ball.”

Pyne started 10 games for Notre Dame this season and led them to an 8-2 record. He completed 66.1% of his passes in those starts for 2,001 passing yards and 21 touchdowns. While many would take that production, it seems Pyne has taken the hint about the Irish’s intention this offseason.

Pyne has been stuck behind Ian Book, Jack Coan, and Buchner during his time in South Bend. That’s why you can’t really blame him when, after the success he found this season, he wants to move on now that the program appears prepared to do so as well. The question now is where Pyne ends up for ’22-’23 and which prospect in or that will be in the transfer portal takes the reins of the offense for Marcus Freeman’s team?

Drew Payne pens heartfelt message to Notre Dame community

Notre Dame’s starting quarterback for the 2022 season, Drew Pyne, surprised many when news broke that he would be entering the transfer portal to look for a new home this offseason — since was the Fighting Irish’s starting quarterback for the 2022 season, amassing 2,021 yards along with 22 touchdowns vs. six interceptions.

Shortly after the initial reports of his departure leaked, Pyne took to Twitter to post his own message, confirming that he would be leaving the program and entering the portal. Here was that post:

pic.twitter.com/vGSsI8o2Q0

— Drew Pyne (@dpyne10) December 2, 2022