Sam Hartman shares message to fans after 'extremely' difficult decision to opt out of Sun Bowl

When Sam Hartman did his postgame interview after Notre Dame’s Senior Day victory over Wake Forest, he said he had two games left. The first was against Stanford the next week, and the second would be the Fighting Irish’s bowl game.

However, after Notre Dame found out it would be playing Oregon State in the Sun Bowl, Hartman opted out of the game to get ready for the NFL Draft. That meant his impressive college career was over, and Steve Angeli would get the start in the matchup.

It was a tough decision for Hartman, as he told CBS’ Jenny Dell. Although some fans wanted him to play, he had a message for those who hoped to see him wear the gold helmet one final time.

“Extremely,” Hartman said of how difficult the decision was. “At the end of the day, we’re at the game. I know the fans, this incredible place that we’re at. To go see Steve and the entire team go out and execute like they’re executing right now … it’s incredible. The Notre Dame fan base and the entire community has been incredible to me.

“If I disappointed some people, I want to apologize. But to give Steve and everybody an opportunity to go out and execute and play well is something that I will always cherish.”

Sam Hartman arrived in South Bend with plenty of hype as the No. 2-ranked transfer in the 2023 On3 Transfer Portal Rankings a year ago. It was an up-and-down season as he threw for 2,689 yards and 24 touchdowns as the Fighting Irish went 9-3 during the regular season.

Since he opted out, though, Notre Dame fans got to see Angeli get his first career start — and he lived up to the occasion. He completed 14 of his first 18 passes for 212 yards and three touchdowns as Notre Dame jumped out to a commanding 33-0 lead. In fact, the Fighting Irish got a safety during Hartman’s in-game interview to make it 26-0 before Jeremiyah Love found the end zone quickly.

But Angeli looked comfortable early on for Notre Dame. That’s no surprise to Hartman, who said he had to keep telling himself Angeli is only a sophomore.

“He’s so mature for his age,” Hartman said. “I always forget how young he is. … Steve’s incredible, and his maturity is the biggest thing. He comes from a great family and he’s got some brothers that toughened him up when he was younger. He’s obviously maximizing his opportunities right now.”