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Sam Hartman made it official on Thursday, announcing his commitment to the Notre Dame football program after transferring from Wake Forest following their Gasparilla Bowl victory in December. Hartman, the ACC's all-time leader in touchdown passes, brings an elite-level talent into the Fighting Irish' quarterback room.
It's an area head coach Marcus Freeman had made clear the team was going to prioritize in the transfer portal, as he had indicated to then-starter Drew Pyne that the team would be looking into signal-callers, which likely played a role in Pyne's decision to enter the portal.
Where Sam Hartman's arrival leaves Tyler Buchner, who helped lead Notre Dame football to a Gator Bowl victory. isn't exactly clear.
But one thing is for sure. The Irish didn't bring in Hartman, who has one year of eligibility left, to sit on the bench.
The former Wake Forest football signal-caller is here to start- and to help take this program to the next level.
But what is the next level for Notre Dame? A bigger bowl game? The College Football Playoff? What about a National Championship?
There's no reason why the Fighting Irish can't shoot for college football's biggest prize with one of the better quarterbacks in the nation now at the controls of the offense.
Here's why Sam Hartman will lead Notre Dame football to a National Championship in 2023.
Sam Hartman Is That Good
Fans might be unfamiliar with Sam Hartman's game, given that he was the quarterback for a solid, yet unspectacular Wake Forest football team.
However, Hartman is legitimately one of the best quarterbacks in the nation.
He has eclipsed the 38-touchdown pass mark in each of the last two seasons. He has also ranked among the top 20 signal-callers in QBR in each of the last two campaigns.
He throws one of the better deep balls in the sport, which should be a nice blend with Notre Dame football's more run-oriented offense.
Not only that, but Sam Hartman rises to the occasion in big games.
He fired six touchdown passes in a narrow loss to Clemson in September. He threw another four in a loss to another ACC rival, the North Carolina Tar Heels.
No disrespect to the likes of Drew Pyne and Tyler Buchner, but Hartman is well-equipped to get into shootouts with some of the top programs in the nation- and not only live to tell the tale, but potentially emerge victorious.
That's huge for Notre Dame football, who can legitimately say they have a Heisman Trophy-level quarterback at the helm now.
The Notre Dame Football Schedule Lines Up For Such A Run
The Fighting Irish certainly have a schedule that packs a bit more punch than the 2022 version. But the opening three games- against Navy, Tennessee State and Central Michigan- offer the program a chance to get a fast start.
Then, things get considerably tougher, as Notre Dame football will have to take on Ohio State, USC, Wake Forest and Clemson.
As tough as those opponents are, the Irish gave Ohio State a run for their money in last year's season opener- and the 2023 Buckeyes will look a bit different than the team that advanced to the College Football Playoff.
The Trojans are an offensive powerhouse- and quarterback Caleb Williams could repeat as the Heisman Trophy winner- but there remain question marks about the defense.
It's certainly a unit Sam Hartman could exploit.
As good as Clemson is as a program year-to-year, Freeman and company were able to best them in year one.
The 2023 season is far, far away.
But it's easy to see Notre Dame football making it through this schedule with only one loss.
Have that good of a season and the College Football Playoff committee will certainly take notice.
And if the Irish can get into the Playoff, anything can happen if Hartman is playing well enough.
