Tyler Buchner Learning To Add Leadership To His Playmaking Skills
NOTRE DAME, Ind. - New things are in store for Notre Dame quarterback Tyler Buchner this season. The sophomore only scratched the surface of his skillset during his freshman season last fall, and much more is expected in 2022.
Buchner hadn’t played competitive football since his junior season of high school in the fall of 2019, due to the pandemic canceling his senior season. Getting on the field as a freshman for the Fighting Irish was a big step for him, but he hardly had the chance to run the offense as a package/running quarterback behind starter Jack Coan.
Coan is gone and now is Buchner’s chance to shine as he tries to position himself to start Notre Dame’s 2022 opener at Ohio State on Sept. 3rd. Buchner has grown in many ways in his one-plus years on campus, but it’s not just with his football skills.
"Just having more command and leadership presence in the offense,” Buchner said after Notre Dame’s second fall practice of his growth. "I think that has a really big affect on your confidence and the more confidence you have – confidence is one of the most important traits for a quarterback to be successful. So, once you get that confidence then you can really start balling.”
Buchner averaged about eight plays per appearance last season. He never really threatened to overtake Coan as the starter (although he did replace him for an extended stretch at Virginia Tech, before Coan came back to rally the Irish to victory).
The sophomore from La Jolla, Calif. says he’s grown quite a bit as a quarterback in how he takes control at the line of scrimmage and with his overall command of the offense.
"I feel more like a leader now than I did last year,” Buchner said. "Maybe it’s because I’ve been here another year or getting reps with the ones and doing stuff sometimes.”
He attributes some of that command and confidence to simply having a better command of the Irish playbook.
:I knew the playbook pretty well last year, but I know it even better now,” Buchner noted. "Certainly, confidence comes with preparation, and so when you’re more prepared you can have more confidence."
None of that is to say that Buchner has not also honed his football skillset. He attempted just 35 passes in the 10 games he saw the field last season, while running 46 times for 336 yards.
Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees has a few points of emphasis he has for Buchner as the sophomore signal caller grows into a much more prominent role this season.
"Throwing wise its feet and staying low and keeping good feet,” Buchner said of what Rees wants from him. "From the whole thing, it’s about making good decisions. That’s the most important part of playing quarterback is making good decisions. If you can execute and make good decisions, you can be pretty good.”
In addition to more opportunity for a much bigger role in the offense this season, the other more obvious change is at the top of the pecking order. Brian Kelly is gone to LSU and former defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman is now the head coach.
"A little bit,” Buchner said when asked if things are different with a new head coach in charge this season. "The practice script is a little different. We’re doing a little more team periods and less individual stuff than last year, so I would say that’s the biggest change. Outside of new faces and new coaches in the building, it’s been pretty smooth and I’ve enjoyed it.”
Buchner said Freeman’s coaching of the quarterbacks comes from a more “holistic” perspective. The head coach will let the quarterbacks know it’s ok to throw the ball away in a certain situation, or that the football has to be protected in another situation. He’s not going to critique Buchner’s footwork or arm angle like Rees will do.”
Buchner has looked the part so far this fall camp. He looks like a guy who’s been there before – like a guy who attempted 402 passes for 4,472 yards and threw 53 touchdowns as a high school junior in 2019.
He hasn’t won the job as QB1 just yet. Junior Drew Pyne still hopes to have something to say about that in the coming days, but Buchner continues to do the things his offensive coordinator has asked of him and Rees has taken note.
"There’s a certain calmness and confidence that quarterbacks have, and Tyler has that innately, but I think his mental growth of knowing what we’re doing and trying to do (and) why we’re trying to do it – all of those things, you’re seeing on the field,” Rees said of Buchner.
"Like when he steps foot out there, there’s a little bit of presence there. (It’s like) when he’s out there, this guy, he gives us a chance, because you believe in his confidence and the way he’s presenting himself, so that’s important.”
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