Marcus Freeman, Tommy Rees comment on why Tyler Buchner won Notre Dame’s QB job

Notre Dame officially named sophomore Tyler Buchner its starting quarterback on Saturday morning. He beat out Drew Pyne for the starting job.

Shortly after the announcement, head coach Marcus Freeman and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees each met with the media to discuss the decision.

Freeman told reporters “it was time” to formalize the decision and give the offense some “clarity” on who its starting quarterback would be.

Freeman also acknowledged Buchner’s leadership within the offense. He called him the “alpha male” in the quarterback room.

“When you meet with the quarterbacks, he’s an alpha male in that room,” Freeman said. “He’s a confident guy, he knows the answer. You can tell.”

Leadership has been a big emphasis this offseason for Buchner has he fought for the starting job.

Rees has been a fan of Buchner for years. While he ultimately ended up as a 4-star recruit, Buchner earned a Notre Dame offer from Rees before he had even became the starter at his high school.

Buchner showed off his potential last season in limited playing time. He completed 21 of 35 passes (60%) for 298 yards, 3 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. He also proved to be a threat on the ground, rushing for 336 yards and 3 scores on 46 carries.

Some of that experience from last season is a big reason why he’s Notre Dame’s choice as QB1:

Notre Dame opens the 2022 season with Ohio State on sept. 3.