Skip to main content
notre-dame logo

Marcus Freeman: Moving Tyler Buchner to Notre Dame QB room is ‘under consideration’

IMG_9992by:Tyler Horka•04/23/25•

tbhorka

nd (2)
Notre Dame walk-on wide receiver Tyler Buchner. (Photo by Mike Miller/BGI)

As if Tyler Buchner’s college football career wasn’t already full-circle enough, the former Notre Dame starting quarterback who’s on the roster now for his second season as a walk-on wide receiver might move back to where it all started for him in 2021 — the ND QB room.

Head coach Marcus Freeman said Wednesday making Buchner a Fighting Irish quarterback again is “definitely under consideration” after senior Steve Angeli left the program via the transfer portal last week.

“That’s something we’ve discussed,” Freeman said. “We’ll look at the total number of arms, bodies that we have to practice.”

Right now, the number is four — junior Kenny Minchey, sophomore CJ Carr, freshman Blake Hebert and walk-on Anthony Rezac. Angeli is expected to end up at Syracuse, per On3’s Pete Nakos and Steve Wiltfong.

The current quartet is plenty for Notre Dame to work with, but it wouldn’t hurt the Irish to have a fifth — especially if that fifth is someone with experience like Buchner, who’s started three games in an Irish uniform. None of the other quarterbacks on the Irish roster have started a game.

It’s been since the 2022 season since Buchner started. In his last start, he won Gator Bowl MVP for accounting for 5 touchdowns in a 45-38 victory over South Carolina. Notre Dame brought in Sam Hartman from Wake Forest the following offseason, though, and Buchner went to Alabama via the transfer portal in April 2023.

Buchner started once for the Crimson Tide before the coaching staff there, aided by then-offensive coordinator and former Notre Dame OC Tommy Rees, decided to roll with Jalen Milroe as QB1. It was a good call; Alabama ended up getting to the College Football Playoff with Milroe running the offense. The Tide lost in overtime to Michigan in the Rose Bowl.

Following the conclusion of that close contest, Buchner transferred back to Notre Dame to join the Irish lacrosse team and walk onto the football team as a wideout. He won a national championship in lacrosse and got to the national title game in football. Buchner executed two fakes in special teams, running for a first down on a fake field goal against Georgia Tech and throwing for a first down on a fake punt against USC. Notre Dame won both of those games away from South Bend.

In four seasons of college football, most of that time spent as a reserve, Buchner is 76 of 138 (55.1 percent) for 1,033 yards with 6 touchdown passes and 8 interceptions. He has 86 carries for 483 yards (5.6 yards per carry) with 8 rushing touchdowns.

Buchner is 1-2 as Notre Dame’s starter. He has the Gator Bowl win under his belt, but he lost the 2022 season opener at Ohio State and the Irish’s home opener against Marshall the next week. In those games, he completed 56 percent of his passes for 126 yards per game with 0 touchdown passes and 2 interceptions. He ran 12 times per game for 31 yards per game with 2 touchdowns. Buchner injured his shoulder in the Marshall game and did not play again until the Gator Bowl.

You may also like