Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman opts out of Sun Bowl to prepare for 2024 NFL Draft
Sam Hartman‘s 301st pass attempt in a Notre Dame uniform, a lengthy heave over the middle to a wide-open Jordan Faison for a 45-yard Irish touchdown against Stanford, was his last. Hartman announced his goodbye to college football in a lengthy Instagram video on Monday.
There was real momentum brewing suggesting Hartman would play in Notre Dame’s bowl game no matter where it was or who the Irish would play. But things can always change, and in this instance they did. The Irish are facing an 8-4 Oregon State team that will be on its third-string quarterback in the rather remote West Texas town of El Paso in the Tony The Tiger Sun Bowl.
This isn’t a New Year’s Six bowl. It’s obviously a far cry from the College Football Playoff. So it’s only fitting Notre Dame will reach down into the reserve ranks for its quarterback starter as well.
Hartman skipping the postseason puts sophomore Steve Angeli in a position for his first career start. In mop-up duty for Hartman this year, Angeli completed 19-of-25 pass attempts for 272 yards with 4 touchdown passes and 1 interception.
Hartman, meanwhile, started all 12 games for Notre Dame in a 9-3 season. He came out of the gates with as many touchdown tosses (4) as he had incomplete passes in a 42-3 victory for the Irish over Navy in Ireland.
Hartman could do no wrong in Notre Dame’s first four games. He had 13 touchdown passes and 0 INTs. Then he hit a stretch of four games in which he had 3 and 5, respectively. Notre Dame went 2-2 in those games with losses to Ohio State and Louisville and wins over Duke and USC.
In all, Hartman finished his one and only season with the Irish having completed 191-of-301 pass attempts for 2,689 yards with 24 touchdown passes and 8 interceptions. He also ran for 3 scores.
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.
Hartman is rated as the No. 15 quarterback prospect and the No. 199 overall draft prospect by Pro Football Focus. Those numbers suggest he’s got a chance to hear his name called in the vert late stages of the draft.
