Notre Dame Football: 4 biggest concerns heading into Spring Practices

Notre Dame Football: 4 biggest concerns heading into Spring Practices

Quarterback

We’re starting with the obvious one, but the field general has to be a primary concern. But, curiously enough, it’s also a position with nearly similar optimism as there is a concern. With Tyler Buchner positioned to secure the starting role, the future could be as bright as ever.

While he got off to a rocky start throwing the ball his freshman season, he certainly has the attributes to be a top quarterback in college football.

Buchner showed the ability to run the ball well right out of the gate. His passing, which is critical at the quarterback spot, was rough at times throughout the year. Rushing the ball, Buchner averaged 7.3 yards per attempt for 336 yards and three touchdowns. Pretty outstanding numbers on 46 attempts.

His throwing stats leave room for improvement but are solid nonetheless. He completed 21 of his 36 pass attempts for 298 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions. The numbers aren’t surprising because Buchner didn’t have a senior year of football in high school.

Having two off-seasons and an entire season of practice and play under his belt should have him trending in the right direction.

Drew Pyne and Steve Angeli will be the other quarterbacks that may see playing time this year, barring some transfer that hasn’t yet played out. Angeli is a promising young arm, while Pyne has shown the ability to play college football at a high level. While neither has quite the athletic attributes Buchner has, they were brought to Notre Dame for a reason and can certainly compete at this level.