Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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28 MARCH 2021 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2021 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY ANDREW MENTOCK After trips to Athens, Tuscaloosa and several other college football camps along the way, Tyler Buch- ner aches for his Southern California home. It's the summer of 2018 and the rising sophomore carries a tired arm and dozens of football and la- crosse scholarships to evaluate. Two of those offers come from Alabama and Georgia. It's his preference to skip the last leg of the trip to South Bend. But his father, Todd, a former Col- gate running back and a man well- versed in college football lore, per- sisted. Just one last stop: the Elite Skills Camp in Notre Dame Stadium. Then home. Throughout the drive to campus, Buchner 's disinterested state con- tinues until he is peering through a tunnel of maple trees on Notre Dame Avenue. The canopy of leaves di- rects his eyes to the statue of Mary perched atop the university's Main Building, otherwise known as the Golden Dome. As a child, he attended a handful of Notre Dame home games with his dad: a few losses to USC and a 41-21 victory over Tennessee. But those memories are a decade old. Now back on campus as a recruit, for the first time, he understands the allure. The seminal quote from Lou Holtz echoes true: "Those who know Notre Dame, no explanation's necessary. Those who don't, no explanation will suffice." A few days later, Buchner tweets that the University of Notre Dame has offered. He attends The Bishop's School in La Jolla, Calif., ranked among the top 20 private schools in the nation. Academics, as well as football, will be at the forefront of his decision. EARLY SETBACK In the 2018 season opener against Grossmont High School, Bishop's had possession at its own 12-yard line. It was fourth-and-12. Buchner, in his first game as the full-time starter, also served as the team's punter. After receiving the snap, he noticed every member of Grossmont's punt return unit retreating — and then took off up the left sideline. He eas- ily out-sprinted the first 10 tacklers and made a cut 40 yards up the field, causing the return man to fall to the side. Untouched, Buchner pulled up lame and grabbed his left knee. His ACL was torn. Calls from prospective college coaches dialed in over the follow- ing days, but none meant more than his conversations with Notre Dame director of scouting Bill Rees and the then-quarterbacks coach Tommy Rees. Others indicated they still wanted him, but with the father-son duo, Buchner felt he was still their guy, their quarterback of the future. With his athletic world temporar- ily stripped away and uncertainty ahead, the faith Notre Dame be- stowed upon Buchner carried sig- nificant weight. 'VIDEO GAME NUMBERS' Buchner announced his verbal commitment to Notre Dame on March 8, 2019. He had yet to play a high school season as the full-time starting quarterback. There was no doubting his talent, but how would it translate under Friday night lights? Coaches and scouts alike have evaluated Buchner 's junior-season film, their jaws resting on the floor. There are numerous throws on the run, dimes dropped over defenders' outstretched arms and into the hands of streaking wide receivers. Then, in an instant, he'll take off from the back- field and burst past multiple tacklers, leaving them to choke on his dust. When Buchner wants to, he'll sim- ply drop back three steps and fire a pass into a tight window 20 yards down the field. He accounted for 6,084 yards of total offense and 81 touchdowns as a junior. Buchner did not face the tough- est competition in California, but he consistently put up eye-popping numbers — including racking up 636 yards of total offense in the 2019 state title game versus El Camino, one of the state's 10 largest public high schools. "When he did dominate, when you saw the ridiculous video game numbers he was putting up," said Danny Mitchell, Buchner's offensive coordinator at Bishop's. "Those were against the best teams we played on our schedule." His electricity and the utter explo- siveness jumps off the screen and transcends the quarterback position. He's also talented enough to be a four-star prospect on defense. "If he wasn't such an incredible Tyler Buchner Has Had An Eventful Journey To Notre Dame Buchner didn't get to play his senior year of high school due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but he accounted for 6,084 yards of total offense and 81 touchdowns as a junior. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM