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.
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.
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