Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com APRIL 2022 27 ALL EYES ON … SOPHOMORE TYLER BUCHNER We can try to make this about the arrival of early en- rollee freshman Steve Angeli or pondering whether junior Drew Pyne's time has finally arrived, but let's face it — this spring, summer and fall is about Buchner's maturation and development. Buchner showed flashes of athleticism as a true freshman. Now, he needs to show signs of having the traits of a starting quarterback; accuracy, awareness, leadership — the list goes on. PERSONNEL UPDATE Position Coach: Tommy Rees (6th season) Departing Starter: Jack Coan (31 career starts, 13 at Notre Dame) Additional Departures: Brendon Clark (transferred to Old Dominion) Projected New Starter: Sophomore Tyler Buchner Also Back: Junior Drew Pyne and sophomore Ron Powlus III New Faces: Freshman Steve Angeli N otre Dame offensive coordinator Tommy Rees needs no reminding of the skill set quarterback Tyler Buch- ner possesses, though Irish fans on mes- sage boards and Twitter are happy to pro- vide one anyway. "Tyler has an extremely high ceiling," Rees said. "He has an innate ability to play the position. He has talent in the run and pass." Of all the quarterbacks on Notre Dame's roster, Buchner has the potential be the type of dynamic playmaker often seen leading college football's best offenses. That idea is no longer conjecture based on hope and a No. 6 national ranking as a prep dual-threat quarterback. Buchner's 10-game, 163-play sample as a freshman in 2021 provided glimpses of upside. It also revealed a young quarterback in need of polish. This spring is for polishing, even if Bu- chner enters as the favorite to beat out ju- nior Drew Pyne for the starting job. Notre Dame's staff has challenged him to be a leader, naming him and Pyne co-captains of a SWAT team for winter workouts. On the field, Rees wants to see improved accu- racy and decision-making from Buchner. A successful spring for player and program means Buchner makes mean- ingful strides in those areas. The Blue- Gold Game ending with him looking like a legitimate starter would fuel the Col- lege Football Playoff expectations. Post- spring discussions that he needs more growth as a leader or is still progressing as a passer, though, would throw some water on that hope until fall camp. Buchner's progress last offseason go- ing from freshman with 13 high school starts to change-of-pace player by Week 2 spoke to his retention skills and football IQ. His ability to continue that growth as he moves from role player to potential starter will shape Notre Dame's 2022 ceil- ing more than anything else. QUARTERBACKS NUMBERS TO KNOW 7.3 Yards per carry averaged last season by rising sophomore Tyler Buchner, which led the team among players with at least 10 rush- ing attempts. He finished as the team's second- leading rusher with 336 yards and was tied for sec- ond on the team with three rushing touchdowns. 68 Combined passing attempts at the col- legiate level for Notre Dame's returning signal-callers. Buchner completed 21 of 35 throws for 298 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions, while junior Drew Pyne was 17-of-33 passing for 236 yards with two scores and no picks. $127,000 Is the combined On3 NIL Valuation of Buch- ner, Pyne and freshman Steve Angeli. The index looks to set the market value for college athletes. It does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed but signifies the athlete's value at a specific moment. POSITION BATTLE TO WATCH WHO'S THE STARTER? This is what college football offseasons were made for. Two quarterbacks who have never started a collegiate game in their lives are battling for the right to do so come Labor Day weekend at Ohio State. Sophomore Tyler Buchner might have the upper hand, but junior DREW PYNE isn't just going to let him have it. This is by far the best chance Pyne has had to be the starting quarterback since he arrived at Notre Dame two years ago. TYLER BUCHNER 2022 SPRING FOOTBALL OVERVIEW PHOTO BY KEITH LUCAS/SIDELINE MEDIA