Notre Dame QB Sam Hartman put together a fantastic season for the Fighting Irish after transferring from Wake Forest last offseason.
He finished the regular season with 2,689 yards, 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Earlier this year, ESPN NFL Draft Analyst Jordan Reid revealed his top 16 quarterbacks for the 2024 NFL Draft and pegged Hartman No. 14 passer available. He also assigned Hartman with a “late day three” grade.
“Getting the ball out quickly hasn’t been a problem for Hartman, as he’s a quick decision-maker,” Reid said. “But he has also been accurate on deep throws, even though he has arm strength limitations. Hartman has 8 touchdowns to 1 interception and an 87.7 QBR on throws 20-plus yards downfield this season.”
Notre Dame QB Sam Hartman Makes Sun Bowl Decision
On Monday, No. 15 Notre Dame announced backup QB Steve Angeli will be starting for the Irish against No. 21 Oregon State, as Sam Hartman officially opted out.
As On3 noted, Hartman’s 15,656 career passing yards ranks fifth in NCAA history. His 134 touchdown passes ranks tied with Texas Tech’s Graham Harrell for third. Longevity was the name of Hartman’s game. His one-year rental season with Notre Dame was his sixth in college football. He stayed relatively healthy over the last three seasons, starting 38 games in that span. He threw 101 of his 134 career touchdowns since the start of 2021.
Notre Dame’s 4-0 start due in large part to Hartman had Irish fans thinking Heisman Trophy and College Football Playoff. It didn’t play out that way, largely because Hartman struggled mightily in the big games on the schedule. But Hartman wasn’t ever anything short of entertaining, and the 2023 Notre Dame season will always be remembered for him having been in South Bend.
Notre Dame Seeking QB In Transfer Portal
While the Sun Bowl will be a great opportunity for Angeli to audition for the vacant starting QB position at Notre Dame, the Irish are expected to bring on a proven signal caller in the transfer portal and have been heavily linked to former Duke starter Riley Leonard.
Angeli arrived at Notre Dame as a three-star recruit and the No. 33 quarterback in the country according to the On3 Industry Ranking. He’ll be the quarterback with the best chance of competing with whoever the Irish bring in from the portal for the starting spot in 2024. A solid showing in the Sun Bowl could catapult him into a strong offseason of giving Leonard or whoever else a run for his money.
