Now this is interesting.

Since the dawn of the transfer portal era, Alabama’s dabbled surgically. They’ve hit on a few, missed on a couple but never really taken a swing at the marquee position.

Frankly, they haven’t had an inkling of a need to hit the market for a used quarterback. A run of big-name recruiting scores and somewhat of a surprise in Mac Jones formed a line of succession unmatched in program history.

And now it gets, well, maybe intriguing.

The Thursday commitment of Notre Dame transfer Tyler Buchner made a splash since he followed his former coordinator, Tommy Rees from South Bend down to Tuscaloosa. It comes on the morning of the NFL draft where the crown jewel of the gilded age, Bryce Young, is expected to become the program’s first No. 1 pick of the modern era.

The quick courtship came on the heels of an underwhelming Alabama A-Day in terms of quarterback play. Granted, the exhibition isn’t designed to display QB dominance with a watered down playbook and two-hand touch for the black shirts.

But there wasn’t a performance that stood out as someone grabbing the job. Think back to 2016, Jalen Hurts didn’t necessarily win the top job as an early enrollee but he created a buzz that made the following September’s ascension less surprising. On Saturday, the four quarterbacks threw four interceptions. There was indecision, arm punts of the shanked variety and a 49.4 combined completion percentage.

Drops were a factor but still. Nick Saban doesn’t dig the panic interceptions for what would feel like more of ball control-style of offense in 2023. Remember Jalen Milroe, the presumed top contender, threw one and lost two fumbles in his lone start last year against Texas A&M.

So that’s where Buchner makes for a fascinating transfer addition.

Though he missed most of the 2022 season with a shoulder injury on his non-throwing arm, his stat line included three touchdowns to five interceptions. Starting the first two games, he lost (more understandably) to No. 2 Ohio State before throwing two picks in a stunning 26-21 loss to a Marshall team that would lose four of its next six against Group of Five or lower competition.

Buchner returned to lead Notre Dame to a 45-38 Gator Bowl win over South Carolina in another whirlwind performance. That included competing 18 of 33 passes (54.5%) with three touchdown passes, two touchdown runs and three interceptions.

As a recruit, he was the No. 11 passer in the 2021 class — two spots ahead of Milroe in the 247Sports composite of rankings. Like Milroe, he’s an explosive runner who can change how a team defends him.

High ceiling.

But with a high risk factor.

And throwing five interceptions in 83 attempts last season doesn’t mix with the recent trend at Alabama. He threw picks on 6% of his throws in 2022 compared to Bryce Young’s 0.015% that year, 0.012% in 2021 and Mac Jones’ 0.009% in 2020.

It’s also worth noting Notre Dame also had its spring game Saturday, and based on all the reporting from South Bend, Wake Forest transfer Sam Hartman was entering the summer as the clear leader to start in the fall for the Irish.

Still, Rees is seemingly putting a lot coaching room equity on Buchner a year after Alabama had mixed results with incoming transfers.

In context, Alabama hasn’t started a transfer QB since before the portal era began. Even when Jake Coker made the move from Florida State, he lost the starting job in his first season to Blake Sims before claiming the job for the 2015 national title run.

And what does this mean for the rest of the quarterbacks?

Buchner makes five scholarship passers in the room with the two true freshmen — Eli Holstein and Dylan Lonergan — joining Milroe and redshirt freshman Ty Simpson. It’s hard to imagine that number stays at five but the transfer portal window closes Sunday so quick decisions are coming.

But it’s interesting because Thursday’s move wasn’t necessarily seismic. Buchner has talent but isn’t a proven Power 5 starter like Harman was at Wake Forest or Jayden Daniels was last year at LSU.

So to the mysterious summer offseason they go without a true frontrunner. There’s no clear leader grabbing, as Saban often says, the bull by the horn and just 136 days until Texas strolls into Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Michael Casagrande is a reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.