Tyler Buchner, former Alabama QB, announces future plans for football career
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Tyler Buchner is returning to the Notre Dame football program this fall.
Buchner spent the first couple of years of his college career at Notre Dame before transferring to Alabama ahead of the 2023 season. After serving as one of Alabama’s backup quarterbacks last season, he returned to South Bend to join the lacrosse program this spring.
Now, Buchner has announced his return to the Notre Dame football program — but as a walk-on. He announced that news in a letter to the Notre Dame faithful on Friday. Buchner’s message talks about his time in Tuscaloosa — including some details about what he went through after he was benched in September. Here’s an excerpt from his letter:
“I got the green light to start in the third game of the season and had the best week of practice of my career leading up to it. Unfortunately, I played poorly and was benched for the first time in my life by Coach Saban on ESPN. I was devastated and fell into a deep emotional hole. What I had been working so hard for all these years suddenly felt like a pipe dream. And over the following weeks, I felt hopeless and hated football. I had to dig deep to realize that I would have to seek new goals there in Tuscaloosa. I had never played scout team before, but ahead of LSU, I pulled myself out of my funk and volunteered to run scout. After the game, Coach Saban found me and thanked me for helping the team beat the Tigers. I had discovered a new role on the team and recognized that one bad game would not define my contribution. I learned to truly appreciate having shared goals in the common pursuit of excellence, even if I was not playing.”
According to multiple reports, Buchner will be a wide receiver in his second stint with the Fighting Irish. It will be the first time in Buchner’s football career that he’s played a position other than quarterback.
Buchner is fresh off of helping Notre Dame’s lacrosse team to the national championship earlier this spring. Jordan Faison, another Notre Dame wide receiver, also plays lacrosse for the Fighting Irish.
Buchner has played sparingly over the past couple of seasons. He won the starting job at Notre Dame in 2022, but suffered a shoulder injury that cost him the rest of the regular season in Week 2. Last year at Alabama, Buchner earned 1 start and went just 8-of-19 for 61 yards on the season.
Notre Dame will open the 2024 season on the road against Texas A&M in Week 1.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
