Former Alabama QB Tyler Buchner rejoins Notre Dame football team as walk-on
TTyler Buchner quarterback Tyler Buchner will continue for another season. After transferring back to his original school, Notre Dame, following one season with the Crimson Tide, and playing lacrosse, Buchner announced Friday that he’ll be rejoining the Fighting Irish football team as a walk-on.
Buchner announced the news in a Notre Dame press release.
“Notre Dame has always been a place of faith and redemption, but I never imagined the extent of its generosity until the day Coach (Marcus) Freeman allowed me to rejoin the football team as a walk-on,” Buchner said in the release, structured as a letter to Irish fans.
After initially playing football for Notre Dame, Buchner transferred to Alabama ahead of the 2023 season. He competed with Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson throughout the offseason for the starting job.
Buchner started the Crimson Tide’s third game of the season against South Florida, but struggled and was benched. In the release, he described the weeks following that game.
“I was devastated and fell into a deep emotional hole,” Buchner said. “What I had been working so hard for all these years suddenly felt like a pipe dream. And over the following weeks, I felt hopeless and hated football. I had to dig deep to realize that I would have to seek new goals there in Tuscaloosa.”
Buchner eventually found a new role with Alabama. He began leading the scout team, starting the week of UA’s win over LSU.
Ahead of the Tide’s appearance in the Rose Bowl, Buchner told AL.com the new spot provided a sense of peace for him.
“Maybe I’m not going to help them directly on the field,” he said before the College Football Playoff matchup. “But how supportive can I be off the field? How good of a teammate can I be? How much can I help on the scout team? That’s really helped me in my own personal battles, just helping guys around me has really helped me.”
Buchner announced his impending transfer back to Notre Dame before the Rose Bowl. He joined the Irish lacrosse team as a walk-on, and was part of ND’s recent national championship in that sport.
Now, he’ll return to his roots, in a new position. According to multiple reports, he’ll be walking on as a wide receiver for the football Irish.
“I am driven by the determination to give my all, to push beyond my limits, and to be a part of something greater than myself,” Buchner said in the release. “The journey back to Notre Dame has been one of reflection and redemption. It has taught me that home is not just a place, but a feeling of belonging, of being part of a family that stands by you, no matter where the road leads.”
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