Unpopular opinion - ND should forego a transfer portal QB
If ND does take a transfer QB, that would mean five scholarship QBs on the roster for 2023. Now, it's more than possible one or two might transfer out (my guess is Angeli would have a high probability of bailing), but it also sends a bad message to the entire QB room and potentially create a very toxic environment in that area.
Both Buchner and Pyne threw well in 2021, and it's hard to get an accurate assessment on Buchner's play this year with the O-line being so bad to start the season. My guess is that Freeman and Rees might just skip the transfer portal and go with Buchner in 2023. But I'm not solid on that guess.
Replies to: Unpopular opinion - ND should forego a transfer portal QB
If you can upgrade, do it!
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Personally, I get the "feel" that the team responds best with Pyne. Can't really prove it.
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On the flip side, seems like Buchner has physical talent but not on-field leadership. Team seems to
rally with Pyne, but they seemed a bit lost or unfocused to me with Buchner. Could be a function of a team and QB early in a transitional season trying to find their way, or it could be that Buchner just doesn't have it as a leader. The sample size so far is small....
It is normal to take charge more with the backup. Pyne makes enough plays to help us, just not
consistently because of overthrows or underthrows or locking in, but then he'll make a spunkie scramble that really is a key play in a drive. Don't forget the Stanford game, ugly as it was, was blown on Estime's fumble and the blown no call on the fumble that we recovered. Ohio State didn't choke against us and in fact converted on a couple of third and longs, and fourth and longs to beat us. The Marshall game was just stupid ugly.
Anyone playing with that awfully-performing offensive line will have leadership issues
You could have had Tom Brady back there during those first two games, and he would have done a poor job as well.
And be at risk to get injured
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I'm sure they love it when he barely completes 50% of his passes.
I was right behind the ND bench in Syracuse, and I saw so indication he's any sort of great leader of the team.
They have to win despite his poor play, and they know it.
61% YTD, 19 TDs and only 5 INTs
Better YPP than Buchner
It’s a decision not to be competitive…..just making that clear.
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I posted here several times,,.I'm dead set against,
I realize with NIL, transfer portal,etc, college football now is on verge of a semi pro operation, but we're still ND.Id rather we go with an open competition and go with recruits who we brought to campus and maintain some semblance of a college football team.If that means sacrificing a few wins,eliminating us from the cFP, so be it.The portal is being the free agency system in pro sports.No thank you, I'll go with 4 kids we have.
It all depends if they think Angeli is capable of stepping in if Buchner gets hurt next year. I
agree with your sentiment. I hope lots of transfers into the program does not become commonplace. I don't think it will.
But we can't do this again next year.
Re: It all depends if they think Angeli is capable of stepping in if Buchner gets hurt next year. I
When you say we can't go through this again next year, can I assume you are referring to having to rely on Pyne if Buchner got hurt?
Yes. And we really can't rely on Buchner either. So there better be someone else one way or another
Maybe Angeli can do it. Maybe not. I think odds are quite strong that Buchner would win a QB competition restricted to players on the current roster. I also think there is the prospect of him missing some time next year for an injury . I could be wrong and I hope I am, but that is his track record. So, we need someone who can step in and play at a high level. I think Pyne does his best and does contribute some to our success, but we need a higher level QB2 because that guy very possibly may be starting at some point. I think Drew Pyne still holds a lot of value as an emergency QB in that most teams don't have a #3 guy that can step in with tons of experience. I think he'd been an excellent leader in that room as well.
So, if Buchner/Angeli is a good enough combination to take care of the starting role and playing time and you have Pyne that you know can step in with experience at any time if something were to happen to both of them, I'm not sure you need a transfer. However, if Angeli is not capable of being a good to very good FBS starter then you almost need to bring in a transfer to compete with Buchner.
Whatever options that might actually exist in the transfer portal might not even be worth pursuing.
Does anyone seriously think there is a Justin Fields, Joe Burrows, or Caleb Williams out there who wants to transfer to a school with the kind of academic standards at ND that they have never had to meet in their lives. And if they do, can they even get admitted? I agree with MarkHarman. Why do you want to risk losing quarterbacks that have some experience in the program for a" shiny new toy" that in reality isn't much of a significant upgrade to what you already have. It's true that Pyne has physical limitations and has been inconsistent. Buchner has some questions regarding his resiliency. But what makes anyone think that someone who enters the portal who can get admitted to Notre Dame doesn't have issues of their own with resiliency and consistency.
Buchner is an injury risk, Pyne isn't a starter, that leaves Angeli and Minchey.
Get a transfer if you can. Like it or not, CFB is a transfer and NIL game now.
I agree with this. Only thing we don't know is how good Angeli is. Buchner is an injury risk and
that means you better have a good QB2. We didn't this year and that can't happen again. If Angeli can't be a real good QB2 next year or if you can get a big time QB into the program, go for it.
Word is they've already been looking. I think that is a good thing. We are a very appealing, top 5-10 type program with most all the pieces for next year to be a great year if we get very good QB play. May as well throw the line in and see what bites.
“Buchner threw well” is the unpopular opinion
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Buchner threw well. No problem with his arm. Terrible protection, no running game, bad
play calling. Why Rees was calling for those long outs to WRs against what will be NFL CB's from Marshall that were playing up on the WRs is beyond me.
Game 1 was his first start against the current #2 team in the country. Game 2 was with no running game, no protection and against outstanding cover corners along with a WR group that was a disaster at that point in the season. No Jayden Thomas. No Merriweather. No Colzie. Salerno was a starter at that point. It's really tough to judge Buchner based on that.
Buchner has a cannon, is tall enough to see the field, has shown great touch on deep balls. We will have to see what he looks like given the much, much better situation he'd be in if he gets healthy enough to play in the bowl game.
You know what they say about excuses...
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if he had great touch on the long ball, ND would have beaten Marshall and Styles would have had a TD
against OSU.
Geez a lot of long passes by pros and good college quarterbacks are missed long and short. Not as
easy at you think and it was IMO catchable, Lenzy had it on his hands.
I said he "showed great touch on the deep ball." I didn't say he was automatic. The throw to Lenzy
was just a bit off but it did hit Lenzy in the hands. His deep ball to Austin last year was a thing of beauty, so we know he is capable of it.
It is also in stark contrast to what we have this year, which is an inability to really bomb the ball deep at all. How many times have we seen Pyne under throw receiver running deep routes by 10 yards or so? How many times has Lenzy been clearly open deep and we don't have a QB that is even capable of getting the ball there? So, he may not be Dan Marino throwing it deep but at least he can get it there and, if he does miss, will miss by a little bit and not by 10 yards.
Admit it, you have a thing for him
Come out of the closet it’s ok
You are all pumped full of sunshine over a guy who has some nothing. There must be something else going on.
Is there another Buchner on the team?
Cannon of an arm?
He has shown nothing.
Some things are debate-able, some things are not. The velocity he can put on throws is excellent.
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Your boy crush is getting embarrassing
Much like his body of work so far at ND
He has done NOTHING
Forget velocity, look at his play and his stats, this year and last year. Underwhelming at best.
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He has the abilities is the point. He can see and has an arm that can make the throws. Any FBS QB
can execute the very, very limited responsibilities that the staff is comfortable giving Pyne currently.
Here are his stats this year
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Link: https://www.espn.com/college-football/player/_/id/4431513/tyler-buchner
It sounds like we have the next John Elway, I’m sold, 12-0
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If he can stay healthy, maybe 12-0. If Angeli is ready to be a good QB2 behind Buchner, I'm fine
with not taking a transfer.
It comes down to this: Pyne is not a starter and simply cannot be the #2 next year. The staff is ex
cited about Buchner and what the offense can be with him but are worried about injuries with him. I think the chance of injury for him is much less given how the offensive line has come together and continues to grow this season. I expect the OL to be very good next year and the running game should be outstanding. If he gets the protection they are providing this year, I expect him and the offense to be very good next year.
However, if he gets injured, it can't be Pyne. With all due respect to Drew Pyne, a great ND kid that has balled out to the best of his very limited abilities and we thank him for that, we absolutely can't do this again next year and the coaching staff knows it. So, it comes down to how they feel about Angeli. Is Angeli capable of being a very good FBS quarterback next year that can make all the throws and not limit the offense? If he can, I don't think we bring in a transfer. I think Freeman would prefer not to bring in a transfer at that position if he does not have to but if they are not confident in Angeli, they almost have to bring in a transfer. Minchey will need (and should get) a year to develop and acclimate to the system.
One note, though. You mentioned we would have 5 scholarship QB's if we took a transfer. I actually count 6: Buchner, Angeli, Pyne, Minchey, Powlus and transfer QB. Six scholarship QBs is far too many. That being said, the two least talented and capable of the bunch (Pyne and Powlus) are the least likely to transfer. That means we'd be keeping those two and unloading someone more talented and capable and I'm not sure how I feel about that.
Angeli is 6'3", 215 pounds, more than adequate arm strength and zip on the ball, is supposedly unflappable and has been taking all of the #2 reps this year since Buchner was injured. Only the staff knows how he has been playing in practice and Freeman says they have full confidence in him. So, it comes down to what the staff thinks. Are they comfortable with:
QB1: Buchner
QB2: Angeli
QB3: Minchey/Pyne
If Buchner gets injured, Angeli would start in his absence and Minchey would get the majority of the #2 reps. Pyne would get some #2 reps and would be an emergency QB that could be trusted to run the very limited offense we currently run in the case Angeli gets hurt and Minchey isn't ready or he could split the time with Minchey in that case.
If they are not comfortable with that or if there is a real blockbuster, game changing QB out there, they should take a transfer. Given the OL play, two possible 1st Rd. offensive tackles on either side, excellent TE's, a great running game, an emerging set of really good WRs, an excellent defense and a top 5-10 program in the country, we should be appealing to a bunch of QBs that are looking.
So, none of us know because we don't know about Angeli. But I agree with you that being in a position of possibly having to take a transfer QB when there are already 5 scholarship QBs on the roster is not a good position to be in.
You've now progressed well past die on this hill and are on to, die on this mountain range.
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How is it you know so much about Buchner but somehow know nothing about Buchner
Seems odd
Nothing about my post indicates that I "know so much" about Buchner.
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Seriously, you literally are fawning all over him and act like you are there with him at practice
Every day. Yet you admit we know nothing about Angeli.
The guy hasn’t even thrown 75 passes, can’t even complete 60% of them and his running stats are barely better than Pyne’s
But you keep stroking him.
We've not seen Angeli. We've seen Buchner last year and this year and he easily won the QB
competition. He was a major topic of discussion this spring and fall and all indications were that the coaches were very high on him and what the offense can be with him. He clearly has the physical tools and ability to do the job where we know Pyne does not. We don't know if Buchner can stay healthy. But if he is healthy and he is asked to do as little as Pyne is being asked to do, I'm confident he'd be able to do that easily and far better than Pyne's abilities allow.
To be clear, I don't think Buchner is God's gift to QB'ing. I think the 23 and 24 recruits are better. Also, it's probably in part a consequence of Pyne setting the bar so freaking low in terms of QB play. It's also that I think the rest of our offense is really good and if we got even reasonable play from the QB position it could be awesome.
Ok, we agree about one thing.. We’ve seen Buchner, but we haven’t seen Angeli
Please point to one statistic about Buchner that is a positive. That has you jerking off to him so much.
Just one.
That sounds like 3 losses
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I don't really know what this means.
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Re: Unpopular opinion - ND should forego a transfer portal QB
What if there is a big time transfer available that could truly change the trajectory of your season? In a win now world that we live in, if there is a game changer out there, I’d get him.