Notre Dame quarterback Tyler Buchner to visit Alabama
Notre Dame quarterback Tyler Buchner entered the transfer portal Tuesday. He isn’t wasting any time in exploring his options. Buchner’s first stop is one that makes all the sense in the world: Alabama.
According to a BlueandGold.com source, Buchner is headed south this evening. He’ll meet with Crimson Tide offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, who’s been on the job there for just over two months. Rees, a former Fighting Irish quarterback in his own right, was Notre Dame’s offensive coordinator from 2020-22. He came back to South Bend as the Irish’s quarterbacks coach in 2017 after graduating in 2014.
Rees hand-picked Buchner to be Notre Dame’s quarterback of the future after watching him at a quarterback camp while Buchner was in high school. It was the 40-yard dash time that most caught his eye that particular day.
Buchner has long been billed as a more athletic quarterback than most. He was dynamic as a runner for the Irish as a true freshman in 2021. He finished the season with 46 carries for 336 yards and 3 touchdowns. It’s Buchner’s passing that has yet to show up consistently at the college level.
In 13 games, Buchner has completed 67 of 118 pass attempts (56.8 percent) for 949 yards with 6 touchdown passes and 8 interceptions. Two of those interceptions came in Notre Dame’s shocking loss to Marshall in the second game of the 2022 season. That was Buchner’s second career start. In his first, he completed 10 of 18 pass attempts for 177 yards at top-five Ohio State. The Buckeyes won, 21-10.
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Buchner started in the Gator Bowl vs. South Carolina after missing 10 games because of a shoulder injury. He completed 18 of 33 passes for 273 yards with 3 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. He also ran 12 times for 61 yards with two rushing scores in a 45-38 Notre Dame victory.
Buchner competed with Wake Forest graduate transfer Sam Hartman for the starting job this spring. Even after Hartman outplayed him in the Blue-Gold Game this past weekend, Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman said the battle for the No. 1 job would last into the summer. Less than 72 hours after uttering those words, news broke that Buchner would enter the portal. He confirmed as much himself Tuesday afternoon.
Buchner left the door open to potentially pull out of the portal and return to South Bend, but with how quickly he’s decided to check in with Rees and company in Tuscaloosa the writing may very well be on the wall.
