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Notre Dame football: State of the quarterback position

By Tyler Kruse

AUSTIN, TEXAS - APRIL 23: Quinn Ewers #3 of Texas Longhorns warms up before the Orange-White Spring Game at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on April 23, 2022 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, TEXAS - APRIL 23: Quinn Ewers #3 of Texas Longhorns warms up before the Orange-White Spring Game at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on April 23, 2022 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /
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Notre Dame football hasn’t had consistency at the quarterback spot the entire year, so what do their options look like moving forward?

Notre Dame football: Quarterbacks on the roster

Let’s start with the current starter at the position, Drew Pyne. While Pyne has had his clear ups and downs as a starter, he is currently 6-1 as the starting quarterback for Notre Dame football this year. While that record doesn’t even come close to telling the story, it’s hard to ignore the results.

This season at quarterback, Drew has thrown for just under 1,300 yards while adding 14 touchdowns and 4 interceptions with a 61% completion percentage. The only problem with that is how we’ve arrived at the statistics. Pyne’s numbers skyrocketed in three games against arguably Notre Dame’s easiest opponents. Against Cal, UNC, and BYU, Pyne threw for 701 yards and 8 touchdowns while only tossing 1 interception. However, while he played incredibly against those teams, there has been a massive letdown on other occasions, most notably against Stanford.

While Pyne can still be a solid option moving forward, he has to be more consistent in throwing the ball. Speaking of consistently throwing the ball, Notre Dame’s starting quarterback to kick off the year, Tyler Buchner, could also improve. Buchner has something Pyne may not ever have, and that’s the ability to make plays with his legs. Talk about a dual-threat quarterback or the potential to be, and Tyler Buchner comes to mind.

During Buchner’s career, in parts of 12 games between last year and the start of this year, he’s 49 of 85 for a completion percentage of 57.6%. He has also rushed 70 times for 398 yards, and if the offensive line was clicking earlier this year, that number might be higher.

The dilemma with Notre Dame’s current options outside of freshman Steve Angeli is finding a complete skill set at the position. While Pyne has shown the ability to have big games with his arm and Buchner with his legs, neither has been consistent. Whether Buchner can find his rhythm throwing the ball or Pyne develops more mobility, something has to give. If not, Notre Dame could be forced to try and flip a current recruit from the class of 2023 or find their answer in the transfer portal.

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