Notre Dame QB Sam Hartman: 5 Things to Know About Fighting Irish Starter

Sam Hartman's fifth game as the starting quarterback for Notre Dame may be the biggest of his college football career.

No. 9 Notre Dame hosts No. 6 Ohio State at 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday. Both teams enter the game undefeated and the winner will have a signature victory on its College Football Playoff resume. The game will be nationally televised on NBC, ESPN's College GameDay pregame show will be on location and more than 80,000 fans are expected to pack the stands.

No pressure.

"I think it's a huge opportunity for us as a program and as a team to go out there and show what we've got," Hartman told reporters this week. "Obviously, a really challenging opponent historically. A great opponent, a great football program ... Growing up, you kind of think about and look at those games, Ohio State and all the other big ones, you're like, 'That would be a cool game to play in.' It's exciting."

Notre Dame is 4-0 to start the 2023 college football season. Hartman has thrown for 1,061 yards, 13 touchdowns and no picks in his first season with the Fighting Irish.

Before Saturday night's game in South Bend, here are five things to know about Hartman.

Hartman Chose Notre Dame Over the NFL

The first five seasons of Hartman's college football career were spent at Wake Forest.

Hartman was the No. 12 pro-style quarterback in his recruiting class, according to 247Sports, and a three-star prospect. After throwing for 98 touchdowns during his prep career at two different schools, Hartman stayed close to his Charlotte, North Carolina, home and committed to the Demon Deacons.

But after 48 games with Wake Forest, Hartman was looking for a change. Rather than enter the 2023 NFL Draft, the QB decided to stay in college and enter the transfer portal. Part of the appeal of returning to school for Hartman was proving he could play in a different offensive scheme, not just the "slow mesh" concept that he nearly perfected at Wake Forest.

And once Notre Dame showed interest, that was that.

"I know that going to the NFL is a tough task," Hartman said of his decision to transfer on ESPN's SportsCenter in July. "There are small percentages. I do believe I can play in the NFL but I knew I had an extra year of eligibility. Why not try and take a shot at a new place in a new scheme? Again, it's Notre Dame. I feel like that kind of answers itself.

"The history, the legacy that's been left for our team this year to try and fulfill were all huge positives in my thinking about going back to school. Then meeting [head coach Marcus Freeman] was a big part of it ... just wanted to come give it another shot in college."

Hartman preserved a year of eligibility in 2019 by appearing in just four games. The 2020 COVID-impacted season also did not count toward his eligibility. So the 24-year-old decided to play his sixth and final season of college football at Notre Dame.

Climbing NCAA Passing Leaderboards

Hartman enters the Ohio State matchup with 14,028 career passing yards and 123 passing touchdowns. He is the leader among all active players in both categories.

Ahead of Saturday's game, Hartman is 11th all-time in passing yards and tied for seventh in passing touchdowns. With just 52 yards through the air against Ohio State, Hartman will enter the top 10 in career passing yards.

Hartman would need to throw 33 touchdowns over the rest of the 2023 season to surpass former Houston QB Case Keenum for the most passing touchdowns in college football history. Keenum also holds the passing yards record (19,217). The most prolific statistical season of Hartman's career came in 2021 when he threw for career-highs in yards (4,228) and touchdowns (39). When Hartman transferred from Wake Forest, he left the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) as its record-holder with 110 career passing touchdowns.

Looks Up to Aaron Rodgers, Jalen Hurts

Ahead of this weekend's matchup, Hartman appeared on the Official Heisman Trophy Podcast on Wednesday. Host Chris Huston discussed a variety of topics with the QB, including his internet-famous beard. Hartman compared his look to that of a caveman and said he'd like to clean it up, but can't because it would be bad luck.

Eventually, Hartman answered a question about NFL quarterbacks whom he considers role models.

The signal-caller's two answers? Aaron Rodgers and Jalen Hurts. Rodgers is a four-time NFL MVP whose first season with the New York Jets ended after four offensive snaps because of an Achilles injury. Hurts led the Philadelphia Eagles to the Super Bowl last season and earned second-team All-Pro honors.

"Aaron Rodgers, the style, who he is, his persona of playing the game and playing it the way he wants, I'm obviously thinking about him with the injury," Hartman said. "I know that's got to be devastating for really the National Football League with his performance and his caliber and what he brings to the table.

"I love Jalen Hurts," Hartman added. "Just his story and who he is as a person from what I've heard is incredible. And the way his college career went and the highs and lows of his life. You look at him and say, 'Oh, it's probably super easy for him,' I think that is a guy I look at and like to watch. I wish I could run like him and throw like him, but he is someone I have a heavy respect for and know he's one of a kind."

Featured on Sports Documentary Series QB1

Hartman was one of three quarterbacks featured in Season 2 of the sports documentary series QB1: Beyond the Lights.

Each season of the show focuses on three high school senior quarterbacks as they play their final seasons before moving on to college football. Notably, one of the other QBs to appear that season was Justin Fields, the former Georgia and Ohio State quarterback who is now the starter for the NFL's Chicago Bears.

Wears Own Rib as Necklace

Notre Dame's starting QB certainly has a unique good-luck charm.

Hartman wears a piece of his own rib, which was surgically removed, on a necklace. Fans finding that out for the first time probably need a bit more background.

Hartman had his rib removed last fall in response to a Paget-Schroetter Syndrome (PSS) diagnosis. PSS can be caused by repeated compressions of the subclavian vein, according to the National Library of Medicine. Hartman had a rib removed to prevent blood clots. Instead of simply disposing the rib, Hartman put it in the freezer to remove flesh from the bone.

"It's to get rid of the flesh that was on the rib," Sam's mother, Lisa Hartman told The Athletic in July. "He means the world to me, so if he wants me to clean the flesh off of his ribs, then that's what I'm gonna do ... It doesn't look anything like it used to. It's nice and white and clean. It looks like something that can be hanging on a necklace."

And now it is.

Notre Dame showed off the piece of jewelry, if you want to call it that, earlier this season. College GameDay got a closer look at it. Hartman has said that the necklace represents his determination.