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As Notre Dame lacrosse takes on Penn State in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals on Sunday, it’s a reminder of the unorthodox journey Tyler Buchner has had as a college athlete.

And what an interesting, yet fun, career the San Diego native has had.

After three games as Notre Dame football’s starting quarterback in his sophomore year, Buchner then left for Alabama to play for one of the greatest college football coaches of all time in Nick Saban. This was only to return to South Bend one year later for the headliner of his interesting college resume: to become a national champion lacrosse player.

Now, in his second season as a Division I lacrosse player, Buchner has continued to serve in a reserve role, where he has recorded a career-high eight ground balls and six caused turnovers. He is also one of two multi-sport athletes on Notre Dame’s roster, with the other one being fellow football teammate Jordan Faison.

Notre Dame is set to take on No. 5 national seed Penn State at noon ET on Sunday at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland. A win Sunday would send the Irish to their third straight Final Four.

Here’s what to know about Buchner ahead of Sunday’s NCAA lacrosse tournament quarterfinal game:

Who is Tyler Buchner?

Tyler Buchner is a two-sport athlete at Notre Dame who plays football and lacrosse.

The San Diego native was a quarterback turned wide receiver for football and is part of the midfield unit for the Irish’s lacrosse team. He enters Sunday’s NCAA quarterfinal matchup vs. Penn State having seen playing time in each of Notre Dame’s 11 games this season as a reserve player.

In Notre Dame’s first-round game vs. No. 4 national seed Ohio State on May 11, Buchner impacted the game on the defensive end as he recorded two ground balls and caused two turnovers.

Ranked as one of the top lacrosse prospects coming out of high school by Inside Lacrosse, Buchner, in fact, was committed to play lacrosse in the Big Ten at Michigan before he made the shift over to the gridiron. He spent the first two years of his college career at Notre Dame before transferring to Alabama.

Buchner re-entered his name into the transfer portal after the 2023 season with the Crimson Tide, but did so as a lacrosse player. In his first season back at playing lacrosse, Buchner was part of Notre Dame’s second consecutive national championship, which they secured with a 15-5 win over Maryland.

“Pretty good feeling, this team’s incredible,” Buchner said after Notre Dame won the 2023 NCAA lacrosse tournament. “These players are unbelievable. It’s so fun to be a part of.”

Did Tyler Buchner play football?

Yes, Buchner played football at both Notre Dame and Alabama in his collegiate career.

Originally ranked as a four-star recruit and the No. 11 quarterback in the 2021 recruiting class according to 247Sports Composite rankings, Buchner made the shift over to wide receiver this past season at Notre Dame. In Notre Dame’s 49-35 win over USC in November, Buchner completed a 23-yard pass on fourth down to extend a drive as a member of the Irish’s special teams unit.

Tyler Buchner transfer history

Buchner has a deep history with the NCAA transfer portal, as he bounced around back-and-forth between Notre Dame and Alabama.

He first entered the transfer portal following the 2022 season after Notre Dame landed Wake Forest transfer Sam Hartman. Buchner looked to be the starting quarterback heading into 2023 for Notre Dame, as he was the Irish starter in 2022 before sustaining an injury that kept him out from Week 2 through ND’s bowl game. However, the addition of Hartman sent Buchner into the portal, where he eventually transferred to the SEC to play for then-Alabama coach Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide.

“Sometimes life brings opportunities that are beyond anything you can imagine, and that is what happened today,” Buchner wrote in a 2023 post, per CBS Sports. “I have committed to play football at the University of Alabama and head coach Nick Saban. I know that this is the best decision for my future, and I can’t wait to get to Tuscaloosa and begin the next step of my football journey.”

At Alabama, Buchner reunited with former Notre Dame offensive coordinator Tommy Rees and had an opportunity to win the Crimson Tide’s starting job. However, Jalen Milroe would end up winning the job, making Buchner one of the Tide’s backup quarterbacks.

He earned the starting job for Alabama in its non-conference game against USF in 2023, as Milroe struggled in the first two games of the season. However, Buchner’s starting stint was short-lived as he was replaced by Ty Simpson after starting the game 5 of 14 passing for just 34 yards.

Buchner would return to Notre Dame by way of the portal that offseason, but to play lacrosse in South Bend. It wasn’t until May 2024 that Buchner announced his return to football at Notre Dame, doing so by announcing he’d be a walk-on wide receiver in a lengthy letter addressed to Irish fans.

“You see, I had been lured to Alabama by opportunities that glistened like gold in the Southern sun. When I transferred, it was with a heavy heart and a mind clouded by uncertainty. There were whispers in my ear, persuasive voices, and the glittering prospect of opportunity,” Buchner wrote in the letter. “As a 20-year-old, the ache of leaving behind the Fighting Irish was overshadowed by the pull of the transfer portal and the promise of playing one season for Coach Saban as the next logical step towards playing in the NFL. But I had forgotten why I chose Notre Dame in the first place, and it took a season away to realize what I had and why I loved Notre Dame.”

Tyler Buchner lacrosse stats

Here’s a year-by-year breakdown of Buchner’s career lacrosse stats at Notre Dame:

• 2024: 11 games played, three shots (one on goal), three ground balls and an assist
• 2025: 11 games played, eight ground balls, six caused turnovers and two shots

Tyler Buchner football stats

Here’s a year-by-year breakdown of Buchner’s career football stats at Notre Dame and Alabama:

• 2021 (Notre Dame): 21 of 35 (60%) passing for 298 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions; 46 carries for 336 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns
• 2022 (Notre Dame): 46 of 83 (55.4%) passing for 651 yards with three touchdowns and five interceptions; 36 carries for 123 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns
• 2023 (Alabama): 8 of 19 (42.1%) passing for 61 yards; 3 carries for 20 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown
• 2024 (Notre Dame): 1 of 1 (100%) passing for 23 yards

Yes, we need resolution in some areas when it comes to NIL, and yes there needs to be a system in place that is universal for all colleges when it comes to this system.

However, getting the federal government involved in fixing the NIL issue seems like a very bad idea. Congress can’t agree on resolution on issues that have far more reaching effect on the American people. I can only imagine how long it would take for any changes to be greed on when it comes to NIL. Donald Trump may have been right about Nick Saban leading a commission to find real resolutions, but getting congress involved in this just isn’t a good look.

There are enough smart people between conference commissioners, athletic directors, school officials, and maybe even former players who can be put on a committee to figure out a system that works well for all involved.

Right now yes, the players have all the power when it comes to NIL and the transfer portal. There are plenty of people who are tired of players leaving schools in the portal for bigger pay days at other schools. We of course saw it play out right in front of us with the Nico Iamaleava situation.

At times there seems to be more of a pay for play rather than players being paid for what NIL is meant to be for. Players being paid has always been part of college sports, but the outrage of it comes more from it being known now and the advantage some universities with paying under the table isn’t there anymore.

When this committee is formed I do think it needs to be diverse with all sides being represented as a push for a committee involving the government seems to be more to benefit the schools more so than the players who have had the upper hand as of late.

There are thoughts that some of these atheletes are getting far more than what they should be, but I feel like people with money trying to limit possible income for these players isn’t a good look either. It’s a slippery slope on all sides, but the most important is what agreement is put ito place is something that will last for awhile and be uniform for everyone from the Power Four conferences on down.

The processes that need to be put in place when it comes to NIL may take awhile as the issues that need to be solved are complex.

The complexities could have been much less than where they are now if the NCAA hadn’t been so against players getting paid for autographs or memorabilia over the years. Just as the NCAA is an organization that seems more of a joke and doesn’t do anything to fix the issues within sports, the government getting involved does nothing but further muddy the water.

Getting too many outsiders who may not have the right understanding about how sports work etc, isn’t a good thing. Politics get involved even in sports these days, but keeping politics and sports separated especially in this area is crucial. The next couple of months should be very interesting with NIL and the transfer portal.