NEW ORLEANS − You didn’t have to look too far or think too hard to see the irony.
When Notre Dame football met the media Monday in advance of the Allstate Sugar Bowl matchup with Georgia on New Year’s Day, Irish players were arranged at round tables of six by position. All the quarterbacks sat together. All the running backs were grouped in a circle. All the wide receivers, and offensive linemen, and right on down the positional line.
From his spot in the back of a downtown hotel ballroom, former Notre Dame quarterback turned transfer quarterback turned walk-on wide receiver Tyler Buchner had a view of the table he might’ve called home, had he stayed at Notre Dame. Right in Buchner’s line of vision was freshman quarterback C.J Carr, so clear that he could’ve looped him a screen pass.
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Buchner once was Carr – a young Irish quarterback that everyone who follows Notre Dame football talked about, wondered about and thought about. Buchner sat Monday and could watch reporter after reporter approach Carr with questions, then nod their heads at his answers.
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.
Yep, Buchner could’ve thought, that used to be my life. Two years ago this week, Buchner’s life was more than that. He had returned from a left shoulder injury that cost him 10 games of 2022 – what should’ve been his first full season as the Irish starter – to own the Gator Bowl. He earned most valuable player honors after throwing for 274 yards and three TDs and running for 61 yards and two more scores.
That was the last game Buchner played at Notre Dame. As a quarterback.
Life at Notre Dame never was the same. The Irish coaching staff decided, likely before that game had even kicked, to go portaling. It landed former Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman, who would be the starter in 2023. Buchner decided that spring, probably minutes after a disastrous Blue-Gold game, to explore the transfer portal. He wound up playing for former Irish offensive coordinator Tommy Rees under Nick Saban at Alabama.
It was around this time last year – late December – that Buchner first pondered his playing future. What if he went into the portal again? Could that journey lead him back to Notre Dame?
The idea was too crazy to even consider, though Buchner considered it. Hard.
“I was sort of thinking, OK, what’s my next step?’” Buchner said Monday. “My time at Alabama was pretty much done. I was like, all right, what am I going to do? It was like a problem-solving challenge.
“How do I solve it?”
There were myriad solutions. Buchner could’ve stayed at Alabama and earned his undergraduate degree. He could’ve looked hard at other Division I programs where he could still play quarterback (on scholarship). He might have even started somewhere in 2024.
Or he could zag the biggest, unlikeliest zag ever and return to Notre Dame. He could walk on with the lacrosse team and keep open that football door possibility. There seemed to be one choice.
“It was like, ‘Notre Dame is special, and this is where I want to be,” he said. “I wanted to do everything it took to get back.”
Buchner admitted that the path back wasn’t easy. Not as an undergraduate. Not as a former Irish starting quarterback. Not as someone who used to be on scholarship. If he were to return for football, it would be as a walk-on, which meant he’d have to pay his own way.
His parents weren’t that happy about that but left the decision to their son.
“There were a lot of bumps in the road to get past,” Buchner said. “I’m just so glad that Notre Dame gave me that opportunity. There were so many people along the way that helped me get in the position I am today.”
The Buchner seen Monday was far from the one we saw when he was the starter at Notre Dame. During 2022 media scrums, he was guarded, as Notre Dame quarterbacks often must be. Look closely then and you could see the weight of the position, the expectations, bearing down on him.
Being the starting quarterback is a heavy burden. Some can’t carry the freight. Or the weight.
On Monday, Buchner was so loose, so relaxed, so comfortable in who he is and where he is now that he greeted one reporter by inquiring (jokingly) if Notre Dame is in the market for a transfer quarterback. At this point, no, but in a few weeks, that might change. Life tends to do that in a hurry in college football these days.
In quiet times, when he misses the attention and the spotlight and everything that comes with playing arguably the sport’s most demanding position – starting quarterback at Notre Dame – he might ask himself what if? What if he doesn’t sprain that shoulder against Marshall? What if Hartman never was an option? What if he had just stayed and played it all out?
As quickly as he burrows down that rabbit hole, Buchner returns to the present day. This is his now his life, so he lives it. He loves it.
“This is the path that I chose; this is the path that I wanted,” he said. “I’m so happy doing what I’m doing.”
Which is basically, anything. He’s nowhere near the regular receiver rotation and likely never will be. He is still a presence. Buchner sneaked into the formation and ran four yards on a fake field goal for a first down against Georgia Tech. He completed a 23-yard pass to tight end Mitchell Evans on a fake punt at USC.
Buchner plans to rejoin the lacrosse team in the spring and return to the football team in the fall. Maybe he stays a wide receiver. Maybe he returns to the quarterback room.
Now that would be ironic.
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Despite the initial skepticism surrounding his decision, Buchner quickly began turning heads with his natural athleticism and playmaking ability. His speed, agility, and strong hands quickly caught the attention of coaches and teammates alike, who were impressed by his quick transition to a new position.
While Buchner’s path to Notre Dame may have been unexpected, his determination and work ethic have proven to be a perfect fit for the Fighting Irish program. As he continues to learn and grow as a wide receiver, Buchner has the potential to make a significant impact on the team and contribute in ways that were not originally anticipated.
With his versatility and dedication to his craft, Tyler Buchner is poised to make a name for himself as a walk-on receiver at Notre Dame, showing that sometimes the path less traveled can lead to unexpected success.
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