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Ex-Notre Dame football star makes return as lacrosse star

By Oliver Vandervoort

Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Tyler Buchner (12) walks away from the awards ceremony with his MVP game trophy after Friday might's victory over the South Carolina Gamecocks. The University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish took on the University of South Carolina Gamecocks in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl game in Jacksonville, Florida's TIAA Bank Field Friday, December 30, 2022.ND GAME 25
Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Tyler Buchner (12) walks away from the awards ceremony with his MVP game trophy after Friday might's victory over the South Carolina Gamecocks. The University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish took on the University of South Carolina Gamecocks in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl game in Jacksonville, Florida's TIAA Bank Field Friday, December 30, 2022.ND GAME 25 /
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A former Notre Dame football star is returning to South Bend after departing for Alabama, though this time he’ll be playing a new sport.

Now that the transfer portal is officially open, there are bound to be more than a few interesting stores around college football. However, there are going to be few that are as fun as that of former Notre Dame football star Tyler Buchner.

Bucher, who Fighting Irish fans almost certainly remember from his first stint in South Bend, left for the greener pastures of the Alabama Crimson Tide back in April. It was clear he wasn’t going to be the starting quarterback for the Golden Domers and there was at least a chance he could take that job for Nick Saban’s squad.

In fact, he did not take the starting job away from Jalen Milroe and only took 22 snaps for the Tide this past season. Now Buchner is once again a member of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, though not as a quarterback.

This time around, Buchner is going to join the National Championship-winning Notre Dame lacrosse squad. But he’ll be doing so after Alabama finishes up its 2023 season in the College Football Playoffs.

Buchner has already committed to play lacrosse in South Bend, but ‘Bama head coach Nick Saban is allowing the quarterback to stay with the team through the playoffs and then change schools.

Ex-Notre Dame football star changing sports

To be clear, this isn’t a situation like Jordan Faison or recent Irish commit Matthew Jeffery. Buchner isn’t planning on doing double duty.

At least for now, the quarterback is planning on hanging up his football helmet and making a full transition to the other sport.

The story broke rather fast on Monday as there were first rumblings that it might happen, morphing into a done deal by the end of the night. The situation appears to be for the best for all involved. Buchner gets to return to where his college career started, and Notre Dame football can still be on the lookout for a starting quarterback for the 2024 season.

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