Notre Dame quarterback Tyler Buchner enters transfer portal
Three days after struggling in the Notre Dame Blue-Gold Game and getting vastly outplayed by fellow QB Sam Hartman, Fighting Irish quarterback Tyler Buchner has put his name in the NCAA transfer portal. Buchner announced the news via social media Tuesday afternoon.
“I love Notre Dame,” Buchner wrote. “The people, and especially my teammates, are what makes this place special to me. I have decided to enter the transfer portal in order to explore my options, and decide what is best for my future.
“After discussions with Coach Freeman, remaining at Notre Dame is thankfully an option I’m continuing to consider.
“I am grateful to everyone for their support through this process.”
Buchner is a junior with three years of eligibility remaining. He redshirted this past season after suffering a shoulder injury that required shoulder surgery in the second game of the season. He was named Notre Dame’s starter a few weeks before the season opener at Ohio State. He went 10-of-18 for 177 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions in that game.
In his career, Buchner is 67-of-118 (56.8 percent) for 949 yards with 6 touchdown passes and 8 interceptions in his college career. He’s run 82 times for 459 yards and 7 touchdowns. He was used as a change-of-pace, running QB as a true freshman in 2021 in tandem with pass-first slinger Jack Coan. Buchner was out to prove he could throw the ball, too, but the shoulder injury derailed his sophomore campaign.
Drew Pyne started 10 games in place of Buchner before the latter returned to start the Gator Bowl vs. South Carolina. Buchner accounted for 5 total touchdowns and was named the game’s MVP. Pyne entered the transfer portal shortly after the end of the regular season when the writing was on the wall that Buchner would return to start the bowl game.
Even after Buchner’s showing in Jacksonville, Fla., Notre Dame bolstered its quarterback room by securing Hartman from the transfer portal in college football’s version of free agency. Hartman has started 45 games at this level and is the ACC’s all-time leader in touchdown passes with 110. He went 13-for-16 for 189 yards and two touchdown passes with one rushing score in the Blue-Gold Game. Buchner went 8-of-18 for 44 yards with an interception.
If Buchner heads elsewhere, Hartman will be one of three scholarship quarterbacks on the Irish roster in 2023. The others are sophomore Steve Angeli and freshman Kenny Minchey. Neither player has attempted a pass in their college careers. Buchner arrived at Notre Dame as the No. 14 quarterback in the class of 2021 per the On3 Industry Ranking.
