Arguably the biggest concern for Notre Dame coming out of the spring was the play of rising junior quarterback Drew Pyne. After becoming a bit of a fan favorite during the fall, Pyne struggled all spring, and he capped things off with a subpar performance in the Blue-Gold Game.
Pyne's detractors were handed all the proof they needed that he can't be "the guy" at Notre Dame, and even many of his supporters have to be feeling a bit uneasy about his spring-long struggles.
But anyone who knows Pyne, or has followed his career at all, knows this is when the Connecticut native shines. Count him out, dismiss him, say he can't do something and that's when he will step up and be at his best.
I don't know why Pyne struggled this spring. Perhaps he was battling through some personal issues that impacted his play. Perhaps he was dealing with an injury we don't know about. Perhaps he pressed too hard in an attempt to win the starting job, which had the opposite effect.
Pyne and quarterbacks coach Tommy Rees will need to figure out what the issue was and move him past it, because he'll be needed in 2022.
I do not expect Pyne to beat out Tyler Buchner for the starting job. I am high on Pyne as a player, but I think Buchner has star potential. Even if Buchner wins the job, there is no question that Notre Dame needs Pyne to bounce back.
For one, Buchner has played just one full season of injury-free football since missing all but one game of his sophomore season of high school. That's a bit misleading from the standpoint that his senior season was canceled due to the state of California canceling the 2020 fall season, but Buchner's injury history must at least give you a brief pause.
Buchner is also a runner, both on designed run calls and scrambles, and the staff would be unwise to limit his running ability all season in an attempt to keep him healthy. You have to play to his strengths, knowing the risk of injury.
That's why Pyne needs to bounce back, and I'm confident he will.
Pyne has to know Buchner is in prime position to win the starting job, which should take some of the pressure off his shoulders this fall. That should allow him to get back to being the confident and intelligent player he's always been, which will allow him to push Buchner and ensure that the sophomore is on top of his own game.
So much of the focus with Pyne is on what he isn't, or what he . He isn't tall. He isn't very big. He isn't a great athlete. He lacks a huge arm.
Not enough focus is on what Pyne does well. He's a tremendous leader. He's smart. He has a quick release. He's athletic enough and savvy enough in the pocket to make some plays with his legs. Pyne's teammates also trust him, and if his number if called you can be sure that the Notre Dame team will rally around him every bit as much as they will rally around Buchner if he wins the starting job.
There is no doubt that players on the Notre Dame offense know that they trust and can with with both Buchner and Pyne.
Pyne needs to limit the turnover issues that plagued him all spring without being unwilling to pull the trigger for fear of making a mistake. Pyne needs to continue improving his timing as a passer, something that was an issue in the spring game, and he still needs to prove he can attack down the field.
This fall I expect Pyne to show better anticipation and timing as a passer, which should help him attack down the field while also limiting his turnovers. If he can do that he'll quickly make fans - and teammates - forget about his spring struggles.
That will give the Irish a strong, albeit inexperienced, one-two punch at the top of the quarterback depth chart.
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