Notre Dame Football: 3 signees who’ll have instant impacts in 2021

In my early signees who’ll have instant impacts article from December, I ranked Tyler Buchner second in the Irish class, but with Ian Book moving on, I think he may just be the most important newcomer for the program.

It’s hard to start at quarterback, especially at a prestigious program like Notre Dame, as a true freshman, but Buchner is enrolled early and Book’s departure leaves a major void at the position. If Notre Dame wants to get back to the top of the sport, it needs to rely on the talented newcomer from La Jolla, Calif.

We’ve seen plenty of elite programs rely on true freshmen at quarterback such as Alabama, Clemson and Ohio State, so this wouldn’t be a total shock if Buchner comes in and proves he’s worthy of the job right away.

Fans are still a little salty about Phil Jurkovec’s transfer because he’d unquestionably be the guy in 2021, but having Buchner is a major positive.

The No. 70 recruit in the country will have to battle it out, but there’s no doubt that the third-best dual-threat in the nation is talented enough to win it.