ND FOOTBALL: QB Pyne entering transfer portal
Dec. 2—SOUTH BEND — As teams around the country begin losing players to the transfer portal now that the college football regular season has concluded, Notre Dame saw its first major contributor decide to move on Friday.
After spending three seasons in South Bend, Fighting Irish quarterback Drew Pyne won't be back for a fourth after announcing via his Twitter that he'd be entering the transfer portal in search of a new team in 2023.
"One of my proudest honors is to have been a student-athlete at the University of Notre Dame," Pyne wrote. "I have been blessed to be among great coaches and teachers and to play with teammates I consider brothers. Our bonds will be lifelong. Now, it's time for me to take on a new challenge, and I will be entering the transfer portal. While I'm excited about what lies ahead, I want to thank the entire Notre Dame community for their support. I am forever grateful for the experience and memories."
Pyne went 8-2 as the starter this season, going 164-of-254 passing for 2,021 yards, 22 touchdowns and six interceptions. He added 108 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
ESPN's Pete Thamel was the first to report the news before Pyne confirmed on Twitter.
Along with Pyne's announcement, per John Brice of FootballScoop.com, Irish sophomore quarterback Tyler Buchner is healthy following his shoulder injury and is expected to play in Notre Dame's upcoming bowl game. A date and opponent will be announced Sunday afternoon.
Buchner suffered an injury to his non-throwing shoulder late in the game against Marshall on Sept. 10 and went on to miss the remainder of the regular season. He started both the season opener against Ohio State and the contest against the Thundering Herd before the injury.
Evan Lepak can be reached at evan.lepak@goshennews.com or 574-533-2151, ext. 240326. Follow him on Twitter @EvanMPLepak.
