Tyler Buchner Greg Swiercz / USA TODAY NETWORK

Will Alabama make run at former Notre Dame QB in transfer portal?

Notre Dame's Tyler Buchner will enter the transfer portal days after QB Sam Hartman excelled at the program's spring game, and according to ESPN's Pete Thamel, Alabama is a team to watch.

The Crimson Tide had their spring game on Saturday as well, but things didn't go nearly as well for Bama's quarterbacks, a group that includes Jalen Milroe, Ty Simpson, Dylan Lonergan and Eli Holstein.

Both Milroe and Simpson, two redshirt prospects who were with the Tide last season, threw interceptions in the spring game. Lonergan and Holstein are freshmen.

Afterward the game, Nick Saban said, according to ESPN, "Everybody needs to ask themselves: Are they playing winning football?" 

He added, "We've tried to build this program here with the guys that we recruit and the people in the program" before admitting that "we're always looking for a way to make our team better."

Earlier this offseason, the Tide hired former Notre Dame offensive coordinator Tommy Rees for the same position. Buchner didn't light the world on fire under Rees's guidance, but if Saban is unsatisfied with the program's current options at QB, pursuing a QB who's familiar with Rees's offense isn't the worst idea in the world.

In three appearances last season — including starts in losses to Ohio State and Marshall — Buchner was 46-of-83 (55.4 percent) passing for 651 yards, three touchdowns and five interceptions. As a runner, he added 36 carries for 123 yards and four rushing touchdowns.

After being spoiled by stellar QB play over the past half-decade (Jalen Hurts, Tua Tagovailoa, Mac Jones and Bryce Young), the Crimson Tide look as though they are back to the middle. Whoever wins the starting job has huge shoes to fill, and if the speculation is true, the starter might not even be on the roster yet.

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