After years of waiting, Tyler Buchner finally snagged a championship ring. It wasn't in his sport of choice, however.
Buchner captured gold in collegiate lacrosse, hoisting the national championship trophy alongside his Notre Dame lacrosse teammates following their 15-5 beatdown over Maryland on Monday. With their win, the Irish became just the third Division I program in the last 30 years to win back-to-back national titles.
Buchner played a small but meaningful role in Notre Dame's rotation. He took part in just 10 of the Fighting Irish's 16 games this year. Taking the field as a midfielder, Buchner recorded a single solitary point. He did, however, snap up three ground balls on the campaign.
Buchner is a familiar name to fans of a different collegiate sport. The athletic marvel actually came to prominence as a signal-caller of a different sort, joining Marcus Freeman's squad as a four-star QB recruit back in 2021. After a pair of underwhelming seasons — one of which was halted due to injury — and the emergence of Sam Hartman, Buchner transferred to Alabama, hoping to take the reins of Nick Saban's offense in 2023.
That didn't quite happen in the end. Saban experimented with Buchner under center, handing him the keys to the starting unit ahead of the flailing QB that sat in front of him in the depth chart, Jalen Milroe.
The Buchner Experience lasted all of a half. Buchner was replaced by backup Ty Simpson following a 5-of-14, 35-yard showing against South Florida. Milroe was reinstated as 'Bama QB one week later, and after a few wobbly displays, he found his footing, leading the Crimson Tide to the playoffs while garnering some Heisman consideration.
Buchner, meanwhile, entered the transfer portal with little fanfare, and after some time away, he seems to be back to where he feels most at home: South Bend.
Here's what you need to know about Buchner's decision to return to Notre Dame, even if it wasn't on the gridiron.
Why did Tyler Buchner transfer back to Notre Dame?
Buchner's decision to return to Notre Dame revolves largely around his desire to play collegiate lacrosse at a high level.
Before he made the grade at college football powerhouses galore, Buchner was, among other things, a midfield maestro on the lacrosse pitch. According to Inside Lacrosse, he committed to Michigan to play lacrosse when he was in eighth grade. He opted to strut his stuff on the football field, instead. However, following his struggles in Tuscaloosa, it was time for Buchner to make a switch.
“My football career hasn’t panned out in the exact way I would have imagined,” Buchner said, per AL.com. “It’s been tough. Faced a lot of adversity, a lot of ups and downs.”
The decision to move to Notre Dame — one of the nation's preeminent lacrosse programs — seemed an easy one for Buchner. Although he's a La Jolla, California, native, Buchner has the Irish swirling in his blood: it's where his sister — a woman's soccer standout — and girlfriend attend, making the decision that much easier.
Buchner is believed to have two years of eligibility remaining on the lacrosse pitch, per Inside Lacrosse. He can potentially appeal for a third, as well.
