Last year in March, California quarterback Tyler Buchner made his college decision. His selection delighted Irish fans, as the five-star player kicked off the 2021 recruiting class. Buchner missed the majority of his sophomore year after an ACL injury, but that didn’t stop Brian Kelly from accepting his verbal commitment. A return to the field in his junior year, only made Kelly’s decision to accept the pledge look fantastic: Buchner returned to his elite form.
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With yet another round of updates to the 2021 recruiting class, Buchner kept his five-star designation, and 247Sports took a look at each of those prospects. As the 28th overall prospect, Buchner will arrive in South Bend next year with extremely high expectations. National recruiting analyst Greg Biggins sees a bright future for Buchner as he “projects as a impact upper tier Power Five starter and future high-round NFL draft pick.”
Chance Linton, who assembled the piece, gave Buchner a second-round NFL draft projection. What was interesting, however, was the player comparison Linton gave Buchner, former USC quarterback Sam Darnold. The former rival QB threw for 7,229 yards with a 57/22 TD to INT ratio in 27 career games, 24 starts. It’s high praise to be compared to the third overall pick of the 2018 draft.
When Buchner arrives on campus, if his ranking stays in the same area, he will be the highest-rated quarterback recruit to enroll at Notre Dame since Gunner Kiel in 2012.
Buchner will have an opportunity to contribute as a freshman. With senior Ian Book playing out his eligibility, a fierce competition for the starting spot is expected. Brendon Clark will enter 2021 as a third-year player, while Drew Pyne will be on his second season in South Bend.
Buchner will battle both for the starting spot, and, as the highest rated of the three, he might just be able to beat his competition and make an impact early in his Irish career.