Notre Dame transfer QB Tyler Buchner to visit Alabama Football

Alabama Football expects to host former Notre Dame quarterback Tyler Buchner, who announced his intention to enter the NCAA transfer portal earlier today.

Many Bama fans have once again hit the panic button, taking this news as a sign that the Crimson Tide’s QB situation is worse than it appears. To make matters worse, the Notre Dame transfer is not exactly a proven commodity as a successful quarterback at the Power Five level. Regardless, Buchner’s visit is not necessarily an indictment on the signal callers that are currently on the roster.

Tyler Buchner was unable to find consistent success during his two seasons in South Bend. He was a backup as a freshman, but seemed to firmly establish himself as a starter heading into his sophomore year.

In 2022, he started the first three games of the year before suffering an injury and missing most of the season. For his career, he has completed just over 56 percent of his passes for 949 yards with six touchdowns and eight interceptions. A dual-threat, he has also amassed 459 yards and seven scores on the ground on 5.6 yards per carry.

Buchner returned from injury late last season to lead the Irish to a Gator Bowl victory over South Carolina, enjoying the most productive performance of his young career. Against the Gamecocks, he threw for 273 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 61 yards and two more scores. It must be noted that he also threw three interceptions in the contest.

It is reasonable for fans to question the apparent pursuit of Tyler Buchner by Alabama Football given that he has not had any more success than the quarterbacks Bama already has on its team. Bama fans should consider that perhaps he is not being targeted as a bona fide starter at the position. Instead, he could be an insurance policy.

Regardless of how the Crimson Tide quarterback competition plays out, there are only two QBs currently on the roster that aren’t true freshmen. Coach Nick Saban could very well be in search of some quality depth just in case something happens to one of his “older” quarterbacks.

On a more pessimistic note, Saban could be anticipating a transfer exit from the quarterback room. If Bama brings Buchner in and no one departs, the room would suddenly be fairly crowded with five scholarship QBs.

While it will be interesting to see how this plays out, I am a firm believer that Alabama football will be alright at quarterback.