Tyler Buchner is finding his place at Notre Dame as a walk-on receiver

NEW ORLEANS − You didn’t have to look too far or think too long to see the irony.

When Notre Dame football met with the media Monday ahead of the Allstate Sugar Bowl game against Georgia on New Year’s Day, Irish players were arranged by position at round tables of six. All the quarterbacks sat together. All the running backs were grouped in a circle. All the wide receivers and offensive linemen and all the way down the position line.

From his seat in the back of a ballroom at a downtown hotel, former Notre Dame quarterback-turned-transfer quarterback turned walk-on wide receiver Tyler Buchner had a view of the table that he might would have called home if he had stayed at Notre Dame. Directly in Buchner’s line of sight was freshman quarterback CJ Carr, so clearly he could have given him a screen pass.

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Buchner was once Carr – a young Irish quarterback that everyone who followed Notre Dame football talked about, wondered about and thought about. Buchner sat Monday and watched as reporter after reporter approached Carr with questions and then nodded their heads in response.

Carr is considered the likely starter for 2025. He’ll be the guy. Buchner was once the guy. Now he’s just one of them.

Yes, Buchner might have thought, that used to be my life. Two years ago this week, Buchner’s life was more than that. He returned from a left shoulder injury that cost him 10 games in 2022 – what would be his first full season as an Irish starter – to win the Gator Bowl. He received Most Valuable Player honors after throwing for 274 yards and three touchdowns, running for 61 yards and scoring two more scores.

That was the last game Buchner played at Notre Dame. As a quarterback.

Life at Notre Dame was never the same. The Irish coaching staff decided to portal, probably before the game even started. It landed former Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman, who would be a starter in 2023. Buchner decided to explore the transfer portal this spring, probably just minutes after a disastrous Blue-Gold game. He eventually played for former Irish offensive coordinator Tommy Rees under Nick Saban at Alabama.

It was around this time last year – late December – that Buchner first thought about his future as a player. What if he entered the portal again? Could this trip lead him back to Notre Dame?

The idea was too crazy to even consider, although Buchner thought about it. Hard.

“I kind of thought, ‘Okay, what’s my next step?’” Buchner said Monday. “My time at Alabama was almost over. I thought to myself: All right, what should I do? It was like a problem-solving challenge.

“How do I solve it?”

There were countless solutions. Buchner could have stayed in Alabama and gotten his bachelor’s degree. He could have taken a closer look at other Division I programs where he could still play quarterback (on scholarship). It could even have started somewhere in 2024.

Or he could overcome the biggest, most unlikely blow of all time and return to Notre Dame. He could continue with the lacrosse team and keep the option of playing football open. There seemed to be a choice.

“It was like, ‘Notre Dame is special, and this is where I want to be,” he said. “I wanted to do anything to get back.”

Buchner admitted that the road back was not easy. Not as a student. Not as a former Irish starting quarterback. Not as someone who used to have a scholarship. If he did return to football, it would be as a substitute, meaning he would have to cover his own costs.

His parents weren’t happy about it, but left the decision to their son.

“A lot of bumps had to be overcome along the way,” said Buchner. “I’m just so glad Notre Dame gave me this opportunity. There were so many people along the way who helped me get to the position I am in today.”

The Buchner we saw on Monday was a far cry from the one we saw when he was a starter at Notre Dame. During the media duel in 2022, he was guarded, as Notre Dame quarterbacks often have to be. If you then look closely, you can see how difficult the position and the expectations that weigh on him are.

Being the starting quarterback is a heavy burden. Some cannot transport the cargo. Or the weight.

On Monday, Buchner was so relaxed, so relaxed and so comfortable with who he is and where he is now that he greeted a reporter by (jokingly) asking if Notre Dame was looking for a transfer quarterback. Not at this point, but that could change in a few weeks. Life in college football tends to be rushed these days.

In quiet times, when he lacks the attention, the spotlight and everything that comes with playing arguably the most demanding position in sports – starting quarterback at Notre Dame – he may wonder, “What if?” if he doesn’t sprain Marshall’s shoulder? What if Hartman was never an option? What if he had just stayed and played it all out?

As quickly as he buries himself down this rabbit hole, Buchner also returns to the present. This is his life now, so he lives it. He loves it.

Tyler Buchner is finding his place at Notre Dame as a walk-on receiver

ByAmelia Journalton

By Amelia Journalton

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