On Thursday, January 5th, long-time Wake Forest QB Sam Hartman entered the transfer portal. The ACC’s all time leader in passing touchdowns finally made his transfer official after defeating the Missouri Tigers 27-17 in the Gasparilla Bowl, a bittersweet end to Hartman’s tenure with the Demon Deacons. Wake Forest HC Dave Clawson had something to say about the transfer portal and it’s effect on college football as we know it.
“What’s going on behind the scenes right now in college football, nobody’s stopping it. There’s no punishment. If this is the way it’s going to be, that’s fine, but let’s not pretend there’s rules.” – Dave Clawson
Sam Hartman only has one year of eligibility remaining, and he has decided that he is going to spend it with the Irish. Notre Dame has certainly had a shaky QB situation as of late, however, Hartman will put an end to that. The former All-ACC QB has thrown for 74 touchdowns over the last two seasons, and brings much needed experience to a rather depleted QB room in South Bend, especially since former starter Drew Pyne announced his transfer to Arizona State.
https://twitter.com/dpyne10/status/1605673161948684288
What Will Sam Hartman Bring to the Table for Notre Dame?
Sam Hartman brings a new dimension to this Notre Dame offense. He is a prolific passer, who displays great accuracy and arm strength. He can deliver the ball with both zip and touch, and can make throws off of awkward platforms. He has great presence in the pocket, likely from how much experience he has.
One of Hartman’s biggest issues is that he can take too long to make reads when there is a lot of traffic in the middle of the field. On top of that, he isn’t the most mobile QB, so if the offensive line can’t give him time to throw, Notre Dame’s offense could be in a lot of trouble.
Regardless, Hartman is an incredible QB, and he’ll have an entire offseason to work on his shortcomings. If he can iron out some of those wrinkles, Sam Hartman will be exactly who the Irish need to lead their offense in the 2023 season.