What Marcus Freeman wants injured Notre Dame QB Tyler Buchner to get out of 2022
When Drew Pyne tossed touchdown passes to Chris Tyree and Michael Mayer last Saturday, Tyler Buchner was watching from the Notre Dame Stadium press box. That’s one of the last places he wanted to be on the afternoon of Sept. 17, 2022.
Buchner was supposed to be the one between the white lines making those throws. Or running in scores himself. He did the latter twice the week before. But then the sophomore who was named the starter over Pyne, a junior, one week into fall camp sprained his shoulder with such severity that required surgery. Poof. Just like that, his 2022 season was over.
But now, a new beginning. Buchner has a course of action that’s only just getting started.
“It’s to be another coach,” Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman said. “Be an extra set of eyes. Be able to help our quarterback room. I think he might have been up there charting a play or two. Writing things down for himself. How do you make yourself better even though you’re not playing?”
Buchner is well-versed in that.
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Back in 2018 as a sophomore in high school, Buchner tore his ACL on the fourth play of the season. He became a player-coach of sorts for offensive coordinator Danny Mitchell at The Bishop’s School in La Jolla, Calif.
“His first reaction was, ‘How can I help the team?’” Mitchell told BlueandGold.com in June. “He became a coach on the sideline for the rest of the year. Before every game, we game planned together. Then he was up in the booth. That’s the guy I was on the mic with. We’d be back and forth. It was almost movie-like.”
The comeback story was movie-like, too. Buchner threw for 4,474 yards and 53 touchdowns and ran for 1,610 yards with 28 more scores as a junior in 2019. He led the nation in total offensive yards.
Notre Dame isn’t thinking about Buchner’s prospects for 2023 yet. There is a 2022 season to salvage. Pyne leads the Irish into North Carolina this weekend to take on the Tar Heels’ fifth-ranked offense. A loss would drop Notre Dame to 1-3 for the first time since 2016.
But when it gets to the point of pondering who will be in the mix to start at quarterback next season, Buchner will be a part of that conversation. As will Pyne, current true freshman Steve Angeli and maybe even a player from the transfer portal. Freeman did not rule that out this week.
For now, Buchner, Pyne and Angeli all have their own business to take care of. For Buchner, it’s about being a part of the team without being on the field. Freeman wants him to actively engage with Pyne and Angeli, telling them what he saw in practices and game film that the might not have.
“You’re here. You’re a part of what we’re doing,” Freeman said. “I think he’s done a good job in one week of being out and helping himself improve but also helping that quarterback room improve.”
