3 thoughts on Alabama Football’s addition of Tyler Buchner
![Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Tyler Buchner (12) looks to handoff during the first quarter of the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl of an NCAA college football game Friday, Dec. 30, 2022 at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish held off the South Carolina Gamecocks 45-38. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]Jki 123022 Ncaaf Nd Usc Cp 86Syndication Florida Times Union](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2Fe7859321811b1f9d8d2e97563e8ccc081ffedfd2356b5bc5117e0d75730431b4.jpg "Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Tyler Buchner (12) looks to handoff during the first quarter of the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl of an NCAA college football game Friday, Dec. 30, 2022 at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish held off the South Carolina Gamecocks 45-38. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]Jki 123022 Ncaaf Nd Usc Cp 86Syndication Florida Times Union")
Alabama football landed highly-touted transfer portal quarterback Tyler Buchner from Notre Dame and here are three thoughts.
It didn’t take long for the former Notre Dame football quarterback, Tyler Buchner, to find a new home as the former top-100 passer announced his commitment to Alabama football on Thursday.
Buchner entered the transfer portal earlier this week in a bit of a surprise move. However, when you think about the fact that Notre Dame football added Sam Hartman via the transfer portal during the winter, it makes more sense.
Tommy Rees, the former Notre Dame football offensive coordinator, left the Irish for Alabama football earlier this offseason and it seems that likely had an impact on the decision of Buchner.
By all accounts, he was outstanding this spring for the Irish and there seemed to be a real competition between Hartman and Buchner.
Yet, Hartman made it clear during the spring game who the starting quarterback was going to be and with Alabama football actively searching for a quarterback, you can connect the dots.
Another quality QB for Alabama football
It’s clear that Nick Saban wanted to add some competition to the QB room. Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson have been duking it out for the starting job, but neither grabbed ahold of the job this spring and I don’t think the Crimson Tide make this move unless they see Buchner having a legitimate shot to start.
Eli Holstein and Dylan Lonergan will be joined by Buchner who has three years of eligibility remaining. Buchner threw for 271 yards and three touchdowns, as well as three interceptions in a Gator Bowl win last season. It will be interesting to see what happens next, but it’s going to be an interesting QB battle this fall.
Alabama QB room will suffer attrition
Nick Saban is a great head coach but I think it’s going to be tough to keep all five of these quarterbacks in the fold.
The two freshmen probably aren’t going to go anywhere, but I really have a hard time seeing Milroe, Simpson, and Buchner on the roster next season.
I could be wrong, you just don’t see that type of thing as much in college football. At any rate, there could be some departures in the transfer portal, either before the season or after it.
Buchner is the favorite
I don’t think you make this move unless you think Tyler Buchner is better than the guys you have and has a good shot of winning the starting job.
Adding another quarterback into the mix doesn’t really make a ton of sense. It just complicates things further and limits the reps of other guys in a potential three-way competition.
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I’m sure reps will be split up evenly as long as possible but with Buchner’s history with Rees, he should have a leg up, and based on how he performed this spring, as well as the simple fact that Saban made the move, leads me to believe he will be the game-one starter for Alabama football.