Nick Saban feels 'really good' about continued development of Tyler Buchner
Nick Saban is confident in the continued development of quarterback Tyler Buchner in the Alabama room.
Buchner did not win the starting job when he transferred from Notre Dame, despite following former Fighting Irish offensive coordinator Tommy Rees. So far, playing sparingly, Buchner is three-of-five passing for 27 yards in one appearance.
Jalen Milroe started the first two games and while there are no signs of a change, Buchner is developing well behind the scenes.
“Yeah, well, he played really well in the last scrimmage and he’s done well in practice,” Saban said. “So we feel really good about, sort of, how he’s continued to improve and develop and gain confidence in what he’s doing, and have a good feeling around the teammates and the receivers and all that type of thing.”
As for Milroe, Saban was also asked about him to begin the third game week of the season coming off an uneven performance in the loss against Texas.
“The quarterback has to process quickly and get the ball out of his hand,” Saban said. “We can’t hold the ball. So it’s a combination of all those things that I think was a problem.”
Tyler Buchner developing, but Jalen Milroe still QB1
In 13 total games at Notre Dame, Buchner finished with 949 yards, six touchdowns and eight interceptions. He completed just 56.8% of his passes but saw his production dip in 2022 due to injury, limiting him to three games.
As a member of the Class of 2021, Buchner was a four-star recruit out of La Jolla (Calif.) Helix, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He was the No. 8 overall prospect in the state, the No. 14 quarterback in the class and the No. 94 overall prospect in the class.
Milroe had his moments against the Longhorns, but two interceptions held him back from knocking off visiting Texas.
“I think it’s important in all positions, but one thing you don’t want to do is get frustrated as a player,” Saban said about a player’s confidence.. “You don’t want one play to affect the next play and to stay positive. But you can say stay positive, but we all have self-talk, right? You gotta believe it. You can’t just say ‘OK, I’m gonna do this,’ but don’t believe you can do it. You gotta believe and trust in yourself, too. So I think the players stayed positive. They tried to keep the energy level up.
“They didn’t get frustrated in the game, and Jalen didn’t either. But still, you gotta trust and have faith and confidence in doing what you’re coached to do on a consistent basis and that’s going to help you be successful.”