BUCHNER TO FACE STIFF COMPETITION
Incoming Notre Dame freshman one of five QBs on the Irish roster
After 30 wins over three seasons, the Ian Book era of Notre Dame football has come to an end.
Is the Tyler Buchner era next?
Buchner, the San Diego Section Offensive Player of the Year in 2019, is one of the possibilities Irish coach Brian Kelly will consider as he tries to replace the university’s all-time winningest quarterback.
The in-house candidates include Drew Pyne, who played in four games as a freshman and threw three passes, and Brendon Clark, who played in one game as a sophomore, throwing one pass.
Buchner is one of the incoming challengers along with Wisconsin graduate transfer Jack Coan and another incoming freshman, Ron Powlus III, son of one of Notre Dame’s all-time great quarterbacks.
Buchner last played for Bishop’s in 2019. He transferred to Helix for his senior season, intent on playing against the best competition in the state as a member of an Open Division team.
He also planned to graduate early and get to Notre Dame in time for spring practice and battle to replace Book.
With the COVID-19 pandemic putting high school football in California in limbo, Buchner will never throw a pass for the Highlanders.
He was awarded his high school diploma in December and plans to be in South Bend, Ind., when Notre Dame opens in-person classes Feb. 3.
“My plan has always been to graduate and enroll early at Notre Dame,” Buchner said in an earlier text. “Nothing that has happened changed that plan.”
The Irish haven’t announced a date for spring practice, but they traditionally start in late March, going three days a week to mid-April.
Tommy Rees is Notre Dame’s offensive coordinator, and he’s sold on Buchner.
“Tyler has exceeded our expectations on how he has handled himself,” Rees said on the Notre Dame website. “Early on,
you could tell the talent was there.
“The first time I saw him was as a freshman, and you could tell the talent was there. The first time he was here, I wasn’t going to let him leave campus without signing.
“It has been a 31⁄2-year recruiting process. And I’m through the roof we finally will get him on campus.”
Buchner was a four-star recruit by 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals. He was ranked as the No. 39 player nationally, No. 7 pocket passer quarterback nationally, No. 6 player regionally and No. 3 player from California by ESPN.com.
He completed 276 of 402 passes for 4,474 yards, 53 TDs and five interceptions as a junior at Bishop’s while rushing for 1,610 yards on 128 carries and 28 TDs.
He was a 2020 Preseason First Team All-American by MaxPreps.
To illustrate his athleticism, he committed to play lacrosse at Michigan as a freshman, and had 18 football offers, including Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Nebraska, USC and Utah.
Despite throwing for 296 yards, rushing for 353 and accounting for eight TDs against El Camino in the San Diego Section Division II title game, the
biggest knock on Buchner was the lack of competition at the Division II level.
“My biggest regret is that I won’t have Tyler for 11 games or more,” said Helix coach Robbie Owens. “He’s an awesome kid, a great talent, a leader, a hard worker. Our kids love him.
“The biggest knock is that he put up numbers against lesser competition. He never had to make a three-progression read at Bishop’s because he didn’t have to, not that he can’t.
“No question there will be some growing pains, but that’s why he wanted to get there for spring ball.”
With the quarterback position thin, Notre Dame’s Kelly insisted on bringing in a second freshman quarterback.
Leaving nothing to chance, Kelly also accepted Coan, who threw for 2,727 yards and 18 TDs in leading Indiana to the 2019 Rose Bowl. A broken foot kept him out of action in 2020.
“This is a unique year in the sense that mid-year enrollees, especially at the quarterback position, have a chance to win jobs,” Kelly said.
“Tyler comes in with an opportunity to compete for a spot. He wants to get in and learn the position. Spring ball is generally for strength and conditioning, but we’ll be looking to get guys
ready to compete right away.
“Tyler is a high achiever, He has set the bar high. He wants to take the next step, the next challenge. He wants to be challenged.”
Several other top-flight quarterbacks from California graduated early to get to spring ball.
That list includes Chayden Perry (Chatsworth Sierra Canyon to Georgia Tech), Miller Moss (Mission Hills Bishop Alemany to USC), Finn Collins (Bishop Alemany to Arizona State) and Peter Costelli (Mission Viejo to Utah).
“I’m more than excited to get to Notre Dame,” Buchner said on the Notre Dame website. “I can’t wait to start from the bottom. I’m excited to go out an earn it. I’m going to keep my head down and keep working.”
Asked what he needs to work on, Buchner said “consistency on my throwing and learning a new playbook.”
The Irish will be challenged in 2021 with Florida State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Cincinnati, Virginia Tech, USC, Navy, Virginia, Georgia Tech and Stanford on the schedule.
“For sure, I’ll be watching,” Owens said. “I’ll be a Notre Dame fan because of Tyler.”