Why did Sam Hartman transfer to Notre Dame? QB picked Irish over NFL, SEC

Sam Hartman helped bring Wake Forest into the ACC title race and the national conversation. He set single-season records for passing yards and touchdown passes for the Demon Deacons, in addition to setting the ACC career record for touchdown passes.

But in the offseason, after four years starting at Wake Forest and five years total with the program, he announced he was entering the transfer portal to play his sixth year of college football elsewhere. Hartman was immediately one of the top names in the transfer portal and committed to Notre Dame on Jan. 5.

Hartman is one of the most prolific college quarterbacks active right now, though many pundits and neutral observers wondered whether Hartman would enter the 2023 NFL Draft instead of playing out his sixth year. Instead, he chose to remain in college and exhaust his eligibility.

But why did he transfer to Notre Dame? Here's everything you need to know about the decision:

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Why did Sam Hartman transfer to Notre Dame?

Hartman, speaking to the media for the first time after his transfer, said in March he chose Notre Dame in part for the history of the program:

“You see an opportunity to play football again,” Hartman said at the time. “This is a great opportunity for myself to take a challenge and a leap of faith in a program and to play a sport we call football. I love football.”

Hartman reiterated that point "The Dan Patrick Show" in August, adding he was contacted by several SEC schools, including Auburn, Florida and Alabama. He said the decision to transfer was also impacted by the Fighting Irish's offense.

"It came down to the offense in place here at Notre Dame, and the school, and what it represents," Hartman told Patrick.

Shortly after his transfer to Notre Dame, offensive coordinator Tommy Rees left South Bend to become the offensive coordinator at Alabama. It didn't seem to matter in the Fighting Irish's Blue-Gold Game in April, when Hartman shined by completing 13 of 16 passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns, including a long completion of 46 yards. His presumed top competition for the starting job, Tyler Buchner, completed 8 of 18 attempts for 44 yards and an interception.

Shortly thereafter, Buchner followed the Rees to Tuscaloosa, making it easier for Hartman to win the starting job. And Drew Pyne, another backup QB, transferred to Arizona State.

“Feels like forever ago,” Hartman said in March. “It seems like light years ago. Coach Rees (leaving), it’s a business decision. It was understood. As the old saying goes, it is what it is.”

Hartman tasked himself with bringing Notre Dame, one of the biggest names in college football, to the College Football Playoff for the second time in school history.

“It’s different,” he told AP in August. “It’s special here. There’s a lot of eyes, which is pretty obvious at this point. I think you never really know until you’re out of it what it means to be in this position. Just as much as I can, I’m trying to soak it in. It’s a high-pressure, pivotal season for myself and more than myself, this team and this university.”

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Sam Hartman's Wake Forest stats

Hartman played 48 games for the Demon Deacons, throwing for 12,967 yards with a 59 completion percentage. He threw 110 passing touchdowns and 41 interceptions, and rushed for 17 touchdowns.

Sam Hartman's Notre Dame stats

Hartman is 64-for-90 passing for 1,061 yards, 13 touchdowns and zero interceptions through four games for Notre Dame this season.

His 71.1% completion rate would be a career high if it holds. So would his 11.8 yards per pass attempt he's currently pacing at. Hartman's Total QBR of 89.4 ranks sixth in the nation, according to ESPN. QBR is a metric that incorporates all the contributions a quarterback makes to winning.

Why didn't Sam Hartman enter the NFL Draft?

Hartman also told "The Dan Patrick Show" he considered entering the NFL draft since he wasn't sure if he wanted to go back to taking classes and the day-to-day routine of school. Hartman is 24 years old, which makes him the "old man" of the team, he said, but he wanted to use his final year of eligibility before taking his shot at the NFL.

"I love playing football, and I know that going to the NFL is a tough task," Hartman told ESPN in July. "There are small percentages, and I do believe I can play in the NFL, but I had another year of eligibility, and I felt, why not take a shot at a new place and a new scheme?

"It's Notre Dame, I feel like that answers itself."

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Why Sam Hartman picked Notre Dame over SEC, NFL