Chiefs UDFA Spotlight: SMU QB Shane Buechele

Buechele is a former four-star prospect out of Lamar High School in Arlington, Texas. Buechele also played baseball in high school. His father, Steve, spent 11 seasons playing in the MLB. He received football offers from nearly a half-dozen schools including Oklahoma, North Carolina, Kentucky, Cal and SMU. He took his lone visit with Texas and signed on with the Longhorns.

After winning the starting QB job as a true freshman, Buechele became just the second true freshman to ever start a season opener in Texas. In his first game as a starter, he led an unranked Longhorns team to a double-overtime victory over the No. 10 ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish. His freshman year was a great success, but injuries and the emergence of Sam Ehlinger would derail his sophomore season and junior seasons.

Buechele would graduate transfer to SMU, finishing his college career with the Mustangs.

Stats

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2016 (Texas): 12 games played, 236-of-391 for 2,958 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. 96 carries for 161 yards and two touchdowns. 2017 (Texas): 9 games played, 137-of-213 for 1,405 yards, 7 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. 62 carries for 99 yards and two touchdowns. 2018 (Texas): 2 games played, 30-of-44 for 273 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Two carries for 10 yards. 2019 (SMU): 13 games played, 307-of-490 for 3,929 yards, 34 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. 64 carries for 105 yards and two touchdowns. 2020 (SMU): 10 games played, 242-of-370 for 3,095 yards, 23 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. 58 carries for 105 yards and two touchdowns.

Pro day results

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40-yard dash: 4.96s Vertical: 30″ Broad: 114″ Bench: N/A 3-Cone: 7.34s Short Shuttle: 4.60s

Highlights & film:

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Texas vs. Notre Dame (2016)

Texas vs. Missouri (2017 Texas Bowl)

SMU vs. Memphis (2020)

Story continues

SMU career highlights

Chiefs interview & highlights

Fit with the Chiefs

AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

The Chiefs obviously don’t have any quarterback concerns with Patrick Mahomes at the helm, but they do have a need for a long-term backup. Chad Henne will be 36 in July and he’s entering the final year of his contract with Kansas City. While Henne proved his worth filling in for Mahomes last season in the AFC divisional-round game against the Cleveland Browns, this should be his last season with the team. Typically, Andy Reid likes to have a veteran and a young player in his quarterback room. That’s just how he’s always done it. Mahomes should soon be considered the veteran in the room, with young players like Buechele vying to learn from him. Developing someone like Buechele won’t just help the team go cheaper at the position in the interim, but it could be beneficial in the long run too. If he sees successful action as a backup quarterback, he could develop into a trade asset. Beyond the practicality of having a young quarterback develop behind Mahomes, Buechele has a lot to offer Kansas City. He might be considered undersized, but he brings toughness, poise and a game-manager type skillset to the table. He plays with accuracy, anticipation and does a good job reading the field. He probably has more arm talent than arm strength, but he throws a nice deep ball, which should fit in nicely with the Chiefs’ high-powered passing attack. I’ve seen some comparisons to Chase Daniel, but I see a lot of Drew Brees in his game. Buechele will be battling with fellow UDFA QB Anthony Gordon for the third QB spot with the Chiefs. Expect that position battle to heat up once the team gets up to training camp.

2021 UDFA Spotlight Series

AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

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