Notre Dame football: Reasons Drew Pyne could start for the Irish in 2022

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SOUTH BEND, IN – OCTOBER 02: Drew Pyne #10 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish runs the ball during the game against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Notre Dame Stadium on October 2, 2021, in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

Notre Dame football: Reasons Drew Pyne could start for the Irish in 2022

Drew Pyne Nearly Won the Job Midseason

The reality to remember is that Drew Pyne nearly won the job in the middle of the 2021 season. Brian Kelly was being hounded by media following the Wisconsin and Cincinnati games, where Pyne looked to be the best option.

He chose to stick to his guns, and leave in the more experienced Jack Coan. He said that Coan was continually earning the right to start. That, of course, means that Pyne nearly pushed him for the job.

Now, this was partly because of Coan’s inconsistency and Buchner not being ready. But, Coan is gone and Buchner may not be ready yet. So, why can’t Pyne make that push again with more experience under his belt?

It wasn’t just in the middle of the 2021 season that Pyne played much better than expected. He did so in the offseason too. He was one of the surprises of Spring practice in 2021, making a name for himself. That’s not something anyone had expected to happen.

With all eyes on Buchner and Coan, getting people to talk about him was a massive accomplishment in its own right.

Nov 30, 2019; Stanford, CA, USA; A Notre Dame Fighting Irish helmet sits behind the bench during the first quarter against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

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Without Coan, and with just as much time to develop in the system as Buchner, there is no reason why Pyne can’t push for the starting job in 2021. He is talented, smart, and driven. The only reason why he isn’t being given a real shot is the hype around Tyler Buchner’s future. None of this is to knock Buchner, either. Rather, it’s to say that Drew Pyne is a good player who deserves to get a long look by the Irish coaching staff.

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