Former Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman (10) will spend his final year of eligibility at Notre Dame. Photo courtesy of Wake Forest Athletics
Jan. 6 (UPI) — Quarterback Sam Hartman, a three-year starter at Wake Forest and one of the most-coveted players in the college football transfer portal, will play at Notre Dame next season, he announced on social media.
Hartman announced the move Thursday on Instagram and Twitter. He spent the last five seasons with the Demon Deacons and has one year of eligibility remaining.
Hartman, who entered the transfer portal Dec. 27, is the ACC’s all-time leader in touchdown passes (110) and ranks second with 12,967 passing yards.
Drew Pyne, who started 10 games last season for Notre Dame, led the Fighting Irish to an 8-2 record. He transferred this off-season to Arizona State.
Sophomore Tyler Buchner logged three touchdown passes in the Irish’s Gator Bowl win over South Carolina on Dec. 30 in Jacksonville, Fla., and is expected to be a backup for Hartman in 2023-24.
Steve Angeli and Ron Powlus III are the other quarterbacks on the Irish roster.
Hartman completed 63.1% of his throws for 3,701 yards, 38 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 12 games last season. He threw for 4,228 yards, 39 scores and 14 interceptions and ran for another 11 touchdowns in 14 games in 2021.
No Notre Dame quarterback has ever reached those touchdown totals in a single season. Former Irish quarterback Brady Quinn came the closest, with 32 touchdown tosses in 2005 and 37 in 2006.
Hartman, a former Oceanside Collegiate Academy (Mount Pleasant, S.C.) star, was the No. 32 pro-style quarterback prospect in the class of 2018, which was led by Trevor Lawrence, according to 247Sports.
Hartman threw 16 touchdown passes during his freshman campaign, but was a backup the next season and banked a year of eligibility. He got another year of eligibility due to the pandemic.
Notre Dame will face Navy on Aug. 26 at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland. The Irish will battle Wake Forest on Oct. 28 at Notre Dame Stadium in Notre Dame, Ind.
