Notre Dame football: Is Tyler Buchner ready to start for the Irish?
By Brad Weiss
Tyler Buchner has the inside track to be the starting quarterback for the Notre Dame football team in 2022, but is he ready for the job?
The Notre Dame football team has a big question to answer this summer, as they have yet to name a starting quarterback for the 2022 season. The Blue-Gold Game was supposed to be the rehearsal for both Tyler Buchner and Drew Pyne, two guys who will battle it out for the starting job, but in the end, things did not work out that way.
Buchner did not play in the game, Pyne struggled, and it was true freshman Steve Angeli who stole the show.
While Angeli is a solid player, it would be a shocking development if he came in as a true freshman and beat out both Buchner and Pyne. Like Buchner last year, I believe Angeli will get some run this season, but the battle that rages on this summer will be between two guys who have been in the system for a year or more.
If Buchner does win the job, is he ready to be the full-time starter for the Irish?
Is Buchner ready to lead this Notre Dame football team?
During his true freshman season last year, Buchner was more than impressive, even more so considering he did not play football during his senior year of high school due to California’s COVID-19 laws. He stepped in when asked to, provided some highlight-reel plays, and in the end, earned the confidence of Tommy Rees.
However, coming in and filling a role is a lot different than being the starting quarterback for this Notre Dame football team. If he does win the job, start No. 1 will be against the Ohio State Buckeyes, a tall task for any quarterback in 2022.
After displaying incredible talent during the 2021 season, if Buchner wins the job this summer, I believe he will be more than ready to take over. He can make plays happen with his arm, and his legs, and against some of the tougher defenses on this Irish schedule, you need that kind of playmaking ability.
All told, Notre Dame football needs to get this decision right, but based on what he did last year, Buchner should only get better with more starting reps. He is going to be a very good player for this program, and the time is now for the coaching staff to give him the nod if he is going to be ready for Ohio State.