Yet another high-profile player has entered his name into the NCAA's transfer portal in Notre Dame quarterback Tyler Buchner.
The Fighting Irish signal-caller was rumored to have entered his name into the transfer portal on Tuesday, which he later confirmed in a Twitter post. Buchner said he wanted to "explore his options" and, after a discussion with second-year coach Marcus Freeman, said a return to Notre Dame is still possible.
"I love Notre Dame," Buchner said in his post. "The people, and especially my teammates, are what makes this place special to me. I have entered 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 truly grateful to everyone for their support through this process."
— Tyler Buchner (@tylerbuchner) April 25, 2023
BENDER: Breaking down Notre Dame QB depth chart for 2023
Should Buchner return to Notre Dame, he is predicted to back up Wake Forest transfer Sam Hartman, who completed 13 of 16 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns in a 24-0 victory during Notre Dame's Blue-Gold Game on Saturday. Buchner completed 8 of 18 attempts for 44 yards and an interception while getting shut out.
Buchner began the 2022 season as Notre Dame's starter before suffering a Grade 5 AC sprain in his left shoulder during a Game 2 loss vs. Marshall. He returned late in the season to lead a Gator Bowl victory over South Carolina, completing 18 of 33 passes for 273 yards and three touchdowns to three interceptions. He also rushed 12 times for 61 yards and two scores, accounting for five of Notre Dame's six touchdowns in the 45-38 win.
ESPN's Pete Thamel reports Buchner has a red exclamation point next to his name in the NCAA's transfer portal, meaning he does not wish to be contacted schools. Thamel also reported he will be "selective and targeted" in choosing his next destination.
The Sporting News looks at several potential transfer portal destinations for Buchner:
BENDER: Breaking down Alabama QB depth chart for 2023
Tyler Buchner transfer portal destinations
Alabama
Alabama was among the first teams mentioned as a landing spot for Buchner, a move that makes sense considering former Fighting Irish offensive coordinator Tommy Rees took the same position for the Crimson Tide over the offseason. According to early reports from FootballScoop.com, the Notre Dame signal-caller is expected to visit Tuscaloosa:
Sources tell me @NDFootball QB Tyler Buchner is expected to visit @AlabamaFTBL as soon as tonight after entering the NCAA Transfer Portal today
— John Brice (@JohnDBrice1) April 25, 2023
The Crimson Tide have several questions to answer at the quarterback position, with both Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson — the projected leaders to replace Bryce Young at quarterback — struggling at times during Alabama's A-Day spring game. Milroe completed 19 of 37 passes for 245 yards and two scores, adding a 35-yard rushing touchdown; Simpson completed 12 of 26 passes for 155 yards. The two combined for three interceptions in the game.
Said Nick Saban of their performance:
"As a quarterback, it’s not only the plays that you can make. I like both guys' athleticism to be able to extend plays and get out of trouble and make plays with their feet. Which, they did a couple of times today.
"But at the same time, I think we’ve got to work on going through progressions and develop confidence in the passing game so that we can distribute the ball to other people who can make plays more effectively and more efficiently."
Auburn
Brandon Marcello of 247Sports mentioned both Alabama and Auburn as teams that could show interest in Buchner. First-year Tigers coach Hugh Freeze has a similarly undecided quarterback battle playing out in Auburn, and could look to the portal for a hand-picked starter at QB.
Following Auburn's own A-Day spring game on April 8, Freeze said he was open to the idea of taking a transfer-portal quarterback:
"Do I think we can win some games with what we have? Yes. I do," Freeze said. "But, you know, I don't want to ever be put in a box where I say something and I do the opposite. I don't know the answer. I don't know if we are. I know that I would be open to it."
As it stands, four Tigers players are in contention to start at quarterback for the 2023 season: T.J. Finley, Robby Ashford, Holden Geriner and freshman Hank Brown. Ashford has the most playing time of any candidate to start in 2023, last year completing 123 of 250 passes for seven touchdowns and seven interceptions. Finley completed 33 of 53 passes for 431 yards and one touchdown to four interceptions.
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TCU
TCU, which has shown an interest in landing a transfer QB, is another team to monitor in the Buchner sweepstakes. The Horned Frogs are coming off a College Football Playoff national championship game appearance, spurred largely by a Heisman-caliber season from Max Duggan, an entrant in the 2023 NFL Draft.
TCU is among the programs that offered Buchner out of high school, but it remains to be seen whether he would be interested in joining Sonny Dykes' team now that offensive coordinator Garrett Riley has since left the program to take the same position at Clemson.
If Buchner does decide to take his talents to Fort Worth, he will compete with Chandler Morris, who Dykes said won the Horned Frogs' quarterback battle "by a mile" ahead of the 2022 season. But Morris was injured in the first game of the season, suffering a Grade 2 sprain to his left MCL against Colorado — which opened the door for Duggan to take over at signal-caller.
