Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Tyler Buchner is entering the NCAA transfer portal, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel — but that doesn't guarantee he will be leaving the program in 2023.
“Notre Dame quarterback Tyler Buchner intends to enter the NCAA transfer portal,” wrote Thamel on Tuesday. “He enters with a willingness to return to Notre Dame if he doesn’t like the available options.”
Buchner will immediately became the most accomplished quarterback to enter the portal in the spring period, per Thamel, meaning there will be a significant market for his services.
He was ranked No. 41 in the ESPN 300 class of 2021, entering Notre Dame as one of coach Brian Kelly's most important prospects during his tenure.
Buchner was Notre Dame's starter for the first two games of the 2022 season, before suffering a shoulder injury against the Thundering Herd. The junior has three seasons of eligibility remaining because he played just three games as a sophomore in 2022, earning him eligibility for a redshirt season.
The La Mesa, CA native originally had offers out of high school from multiple programs, including TCU, Georgia, USC, Michigan and Alabama; the latter figures to be a frontrunner for the 20-year-olds services in 2023.
“Buchner battled with Wake Forest transfer Sam Hartman this spring. Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman was consistent with his comments this spring that Buchner had a good chance to win the job this fall because of his familiarity with the system,” wrote Thamel.
“If Buchner did decide to return to Notre Dame, he would continue to battle Hartman for the starting job.”
It'll be intriguing to see whether Tyler Buchner looks for a starting job at another program in 2023, or returns to Notre Dame to battle with Hartman for QB1 duties with the Fighting Irish.
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