Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame could be primed for major Year 2 leap if the Irish land Wake Forest transfer quarterback Sam Hartman
Notre Dame needs a quarterback. Record-setting Wake Forest gunslinger Sam Hartman just entered the transfer portal and is reportedly “seeking a high-end situation to keep him from declaring for the NFL Draft.” If the holiday union happens as projected by ESPN, then Notre Dame and Marcus Freeman could be well-positioned for one of the classic Year 2 leaps in 2023.
The Irish won eight games in Freeman’s inaugural regular season, and while they sputtered midseason with a pair of ugly losses to Marshall and Stanford, they finished the year strong and hope to cap 2022 with a win over South Carolina in the Gator Bowl.
As the season progressed, Marcus Freeman improved as an in-game coach, and Notre Dame’s offense did its best to navigate around Drew Pyne’s limitations at quarterback and a lack of perimeter playmakers outside of tight end Michael Mayer.
The Irish’s offense ranked 56th in Bill Connelly’s SP+ rankings, averaging less than 200 passing yards per game (No. 104th in the country). They were ok at generating explosive plays (44th nationally in passes over 20 yards), but struggled to consistently make first downs (10+ yard passes) through the air (97th nationally). They finished the regular season with a passing downs success rate of just 33%.
But if Sam Hartman ends up at Notre Dame, many of the Irish’s offensive woes should be solved. Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, maligned early in the 2022 season, could take the governor off and run his complete complement of plays with Hartman under center. He did more of that with another transfer quarterback just two years ago, getting better production from former Wisconsin starter Jack Coan, who went 11-2 at Notre Dame in 2021 with 3,150 passing yards, 25 touchdowns and over 8.2 yards per attempt.
Harman has an even higher ceiling, though.
Notre Dame would be getting a veteran, 24-year-old quarterback who holds the ACC record for touchdown passes (110). Only Philip Rivers has thrown for more career passing yards (Hartman has nearly 13,000) in ACC History. Hartman is a solid winner at a place that’s notoriously tough to win at, too — going 27-18 in 45 career starts for the Demon Deacons, including leading the program to one of its best seasons in program history in 2021 (11-3).
Despite playing behind a really leaky OL (he was sacked 36th times, 10th-most nationally), Hartman had 38 passing touchdowns in 2022 (and 39 in 2021) — something no Notre Dame quarterback has ever done in school history (Brady Quinn’s 37 in 2006 is the school record).
Notre Dame is always going to play solid-to-really good defense under Marcus Freeman. They ranked 15th nationally in Football Outsiders’ DK+ rankings in 2022, and that’s despite fielding a unit that couldn’t force turnovers (just 13 takeaways) or get stops in the red zone. Perhaps the Irish’s luck evens out next fall.
So if the rising second-year head coach can solve the Irish’s quarterback conundrum entering 2023, too, then why can’t Notre Dame compete for a playoff spot next year?
Freeman landed the nation’s No. 8 recruiting class during the Early Signing Period, notably upgrading the team’s wide receiver room with a couple of potential instant impact playmakers with Texas 4-stars Jaden Greathouse (a first-team All-Name Guy) and Braylon James. They also signed one of the best tackles in the nation and added 4-star tailback Jeremiyah Love to a running back room that returns a pair of sophomore tailbacks who combined for more than 1,500 yards and 14 touchdowns this fall.
So the pieces are there, but Notre Dame’s ceiling next season looked capped if Freeman was forced to turn to Tyler Buchner at quarterback again with Pyne off to Arizona State. Perhaps the former blue-chip recruit remains the future at the position for Notre Dame, but in the present, the Irish look built to win now if Freeman can poach a guy with Sam Hartman’s credentials.
Both parties need each other here, too. The Irish sought an upgrade at the team’s most important position, while Hartman wants an opportunity to improve his NFL draft stock playing for a blue-blood in a pro-style system (goodbye slow mesh offense!)
The Irish have a typically tough schedule in 2023 (nine Power 5 opponents including Ohio State, USC and Clemson), but they do host both the Buckeyes and the Trojans. They do play at Death Valley, but Hartman has plenty of experience going up against the Tigers’ defense — torching them for six touchdowns this season.
According to USA Today, Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick made a recent appearance on the “GoJo” podcast with former Irish offensive lineman Mike Golic Jr. and commented on Marcus Freeman’s search for an experienced transfer quarterback.
“In the college game and the professional game today, it’s all about quarterback play,” Swarbrick said.
“And so that’s going to be a big part of what defines next year for us. … We lose some very talented people who contribute a lot to the team, but I think in some facets we should be better.”
With Hartman in the fold, Notre Dame would be a lot better, and Freeman, who inherited a sturdy infrastructure from former Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly, might’ve landed the missing piece that’s held the Irish back at times all these years.