Spring Preview: Quarterback

Notre Dame will have a new starting quarterback for the second straight season, and the upcoming spring is our first chance to see how the battle for the starting job will look.

Let's kick off our spring position previews with a look at the quarterbacks.

SPRING DEPTH CHART (Projected)

2021 STATS

Tyler Buchner - 21-35, 60.0%, 298 yards, 3 TD, 3 INT / 336 rush yards, 7.3 YPC, 3 TD
Drew Pyne - 15-30, 50.0%, 224 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT

QB BATTLE WILL BE INTENSE

Anytime you have a quarterback battle at a program like Notre Dame, between talents like Tyler Buchner and Drew Pyne, there are going to be lines drawn within the fan base. You'll see the "Team Tyler" and "Team Drew" discussions rage, but at the end of the day what matters is the production, regardless of who starts.

Notre Dame needs its quarterback play to rise to another level, beyond even the best moments we saw from Brandon Wimbush (2017), Ian Book (2018-20) and Jack Coan (2021). Notre Dame has had good quarterback play at times in recent seasons, but it needs outstanding quarterback play, and more consistently effective quarterback play.

This spring both Buchner and Pyne need to improve their games ... a lot.

The ideal scenario is that both players grow, jump their games up a notch, make a lot of plays and push each other. Buchner thriving this spring pushes Pyne to be his best, and Pyne thriving this spring pushes Buchner to be his best.

Getting the best from Buchner and Pyne will ensure that no matter who starts in the fall, Notre Dame will be just fine at quarterback.

On top of the two quarterbacks battling each other for the starting job, position coach Tommy Rees also needs to make sure that within that battle there is still a symbiotic relationship between the two.

Quarterback battles can fracture a locker room, and the best way to prevent that from happening is when the two quarterbacks support each other. That can be very hard to do when competitors are working so hard to win a job.

ANGELI NEEDS TO LEARN

Freshman quarterback Steve Angeli arrived in January and he'll have a role to play this spring as well. He likely won't be part of the quarterback battle, and he shouldn't get the same number of reps as the older signal callers, but he'll still get plenty of opportunities to learn and grow.

Angeli needs to be a sponge this spring, watching how Pyne and Buchner go about their business, how they prepare and every time his position coach speaks he needs to soak it all in.

There are areas where Angeli can grow his game, of course, but the focus this spring is to get a jump start on the mental game.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

When evaluating the progress of the quarterbacks there are a few things I'll be looking for.

1. The quarterbacks take over a leadership role - Notre Dame has had quality leadership at the quarterback the last three seasons, but it's all gone now. On top of that Notre Dame also lost captain Kyren Williams, who was the emotional leader of the offense. To make matters worse, fifth-year senior center and team captain Jarrett Patterson is also out for the spring with an injury.

A key this spring will be Buchner and Pyne both emerging as leaders of the offense from both a verbal and work ethic standpoint. If that happens you'll see the rest of the offense rally around them. Not just the starter, but both of the quarterbacks.

2. How quickly the QBs mesh with the pass catchers - Of course, production at quarterback is largely due to the connection that is made with the pass catchers. With injuries limiting the number of tight ends and wideouts we'll see this spring it gives both Buchner and Pyne a golden opportunity to build strong connections with the pass catchers that are available.

Connecting with Michael Mayer is a must for the next quarterback, but getting on the same page with a wide receiving corps that has some juice (Braden Lenzy, Lorenzo Styles) is also very important.

3. QBs make a lot of plays .... or not - The quarterbacks can build trust in their teammates - on both sides of the ball - by showing a command of the offense, being efficient and putting in hard work each day.

Another very important way to build trust with your teammates is to make a lot of plays. I'll be looking to see if the quarterbacks can become legitimate and consistent playmakers with their arms first and legs second.

THREE QUESTIONS

Here are the three biggest questions I have at quarterback this spring:

1. How much pass improvement will Buchner make? - There is no doubt that the biggest questions surrounding Buchner is his throwing ability. Buchner has all the tools to be an outstanding passer, but he must clean up his technique, become a better decision maker and show he's capable of shredding a defense from the pocket.

Doing so without losing aggressiveness as a runner is of the utmost importance, but if Buchner wants to be a championship caliber quarterback he'll need to become as much of a threat sitting in the pocket, going through his progressions and getting the ball out accurately, on time and to the right players as he is as a runner.

2. Can Pyne make a jump in consistency? - Pyne has the tools to be an outstanding point guard quarterback. That means a guy who has a mastery of the offense, is a great (and quick) decision maker and is a very accurate passer.

I have no doubt that Pyne will master the offense, I have no doubt he'll be a great decision maker, but if he wants to win the starting job and be capable of leading Notre Dame to a championship he'll need to make a significant jump in ball placement.

3. Does a starter emerge now? - I'm very curious to see if a starter emerges this spring. I think it's best for the team to go into the summer knowing who "the man" is on offense, but that can't be forced. I doubt we see a starter emerge by April 23rd, but if it does happen it likely means one of the two quarterbacks was really, really good. If that happens that is great news for Notre Dame.

Notre Dame will have a successful spring if ....

Buchner and Pyne both play at a high level but one of them shows he is clearly the man for the job, which makes it easier for the rest of the depth chart, and entire roster for that matter, to embrace the winner.

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