Sam Hartman
Sam Hartman (born July 29, 1999) is an American football quarterback for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL), where he currently serves on the team's practice squad as of the 2025 season.[1][2] Standing at 6 feet 1 inch and weighing 209 pounds, Hartman played college football for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons from 2018 to 2022 and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in 2023, amassing career totals of 15,656 passing yards and 134 passing touchdowns, which rank him sixth and fourth in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision history, respectively.[3] Known for his resilience, he overcame significant injuries including a season-ending broken leg as a freshman in 2018 and a blood clot diagnosis in 2022 that sidelined him briefly.[4][5] Hartman's college career began at Wake Forest, where he emerged as one of the Atlantic Coast Conference's (ACC) most prolific passers, setting school and conference records during his tenure.[6] In 2021, he led the ACC with 4,228 passing yards and 39 touchdowns, earning first-team All-ACC honors, while in 2022 he again topped the conference with 38 passing touchdowns despite missing time due to injury.[3] Over five seasons with the Demon Deacons, Hartman threw for 12,967 yards and 110 touchdowns, establishing ACC records for career passing yards and touchdowns at the time, along with the most 300-yard passing games in conference history (21).[3][6] Transferring to Notre Dame for his senior year via the NCAA transfer portal, he added 2,689 passing yards and 24 touchdowns in 2023, helping lead the Fighting Irish to a 10–3 record and a berth in the College Football Playoff.[3] Entering the professional ranks, Hartman went undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft but signed as an undrafted free agent with the Washington Commanders shortly thereafter.[4] He spent the 2024 season on the Commanders' practice squad and was waived during the 2025 preseason before being re-signed to the practice squad on August 27, 2025, continuing to develop behind starters like Jayden Daniels.[7][1] Throughout his career, Hartman has also demonstrated mobility as a dual-threat quarterback, rushing for 978 yards and 20 touchdowns in college.[3]Early life and high school
Early life
Samuel Hartman was born on July 29, 1999, in Charlotte, North Carolina, to parents Mark and Lisa Hartman.[8] His father, a former college football player who later became a surgeon, and his mother, a retired nurse, provided a supportive family environment that included Hartman's two older brothers: Joe, born in 1994, and the adopted Demitri Allison, born in 1995, who died by suicide in 2015.[8] The family later relocated to Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, but Hartman's formative years were rooted in North Carolina.[8] Raised in a strict, faith-driven Christian household, Hartman attended SouthLake Christian Academy in Huntersville, North Carolina, from kindergarten through his early teenage years.[9] This upbringing instilled values of discipline and resilience, fostering his deep Christian faith that would influence his personal and athletic development.[10] Hartman developed an early interest in football through participation in local Pop Warner youth leagues, where he naturally gravitated toward the quarterback position despite often playing against children two years older.[11] Coached by his father and former University of North Carolina quarterback Mark Maye, he received foundational quarterback training in a pass-heavy offense, demonstrating precocious talent by completing 15 of 20 passes with accuracy during sessions around age 9 or 10.[11] These experiences highlighted his leadership and toughness before he transitioned to organized high school football.[11]High school career
Sam Hartman began his high school football career at Davidson Day School in Davidson, North Carolina, where he played quarterback for his freshman through junior seasons. As a junior in 2016, he threw for 3,733 yards and 45 touchdowns while completing 229 of 348 passes (65.8 percent) with just six interceptions over 11 games, earning first-team All-State honors in North Carolina.[12][13] His performance helped lead the Patriots to an 11–1 record and a conference championship.[14] Prior to his senior year, Hartman transferred to Oceanside Collegiate Academy in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. In 2017, he completed 205 of 349 passes for 3,093 yards and 29 touchdowns, adding nine rushing touchdowns, as the Landsharks compiled a 7–3 record.[6][15] Over his entire prep career, he amassed 9,481 passing yards and 98 touchdowns.[16] Rated a three-star recruit by major scouting services such as 247Sports and ESPN, Hartman committed to Wake Forest in June 2016 as a junior, choosing the Demon Deacons over scholarship offers from other Atlantic Coast Conference programs including Boston College, Duke, North Carolina, and NC State.[17][18][19] He was also featured in the documentary series QB1: Beyond the Lights during his senior year.[17]College career
Wake Forest Demon Deacons (2018–2022)
Sam Hartman committed to Wake Forest in June 2016 following a standout high school career at Davidson Day School in North Carolina.[19] As a true freshman in 2018, Hartman won the starting quarterback job and appeared in all nine games, completing 161 of 291 passes for 1,984 yards with 16 touchdowns and eight interceptions before suffering a season-ending leg injury against Syracuse.[20][3] His early success, including a 378-yard debut performance against Tulane, helped Wake Forest achieve a 7–6 record and a Birmingham Bowl victory, marking the first time a true freshman started the season opener at quarterback in program history.[21][20] In 2019, Hartman redshirted as the backup to Jamie Newman, appearing in four games and throwing for 830 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions while preserving his eligibility.[3][22] The Demon Deacons finished 8–5, capped by a Pinstripe Bowl win over Michigan State, as Newman's leadership highlighted Hartman's development in a supporting role. Hartman regained the starting position for the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season, starting all nine games and passing for 2,224 yards with 13 touchdowns and five interceptions, including a streak of 258 consecutive passes without an interception that set a Wake Forest record and ranked fifth in ACC history.[3][16] He added -1 net rushing yards and two scores, contributing to a 4–4 record amid challenging circumstances, while demonstrating improved decision-making and pocket presence.[3] The 2021 season marked Hartman's breakout, as he started all 14 games—Wake Forest's most since 2007—throwing for a school-record 39 touchdowns and 4,228 yards on 299 completions from 508 attempts, with 14 interceptions.[23][3] His dual-threat ability, including 363 rushing yards on 117 carries and 11 rushing touchdowns, powered the Demon Deacons to an 11–3 record, an ACC Atlantic Division title, a conference championship game appearance (a loss to Pittsburgh), and a TaxSlayer Bowl victory over Rutgers.[23] Hartman's efficiency earned him second-team All-ACC honors and positioned him as one of the conference's premier passers. Entering his fifth year in 2022, Hartman faced a major setback with a diagnosis of Paget-Schroetter syndrome, a blood clot in his subclavian vein, which sidelined him indefinitely after fall camp and required surgery to remove the clot and resect part of his first rib to prevent recurrence.[24][25] Medically cleared after three weeks, he returned for the second game against Vanderbilt and started the final 12 contests, completing 270 of 428 passes for 3,701 yards, 38 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.[26][3] His resilience led Wake Forest to an 8–5 finish and a Gasparilla Bowl appearance, while he set the ACC career record with 110 passing touchdowns (surpassing Tajh Boyd's 107) and earned the Brian Piccolo Award as the conference's most courageous player.[27][28] Across his five seasons at Wake Forest, Hartman started 45 games, compiling 12,967 passing yards to become the program's all-time leader in passing yards, attempts (1,597), completions (944), and touchdowns, while adding 17 rushing touchdowns.[16][3] His progression from injury-plagued early years to record-setting consistency elevated the Demon Deacons' offense, fostering a 27–18 record in his starts and establishing him as the ACC's all-time passing touchdown leader.[29][28]Notre Dame Fighting Irish (2023)
Following his record-setting tenure at Wake Forest, where he established himself as the ACC's all-time leader in touchdown passes, Sam Hartman entered the transfer portal on December 27, 2022, and committed to Notre Dame on January 5, 2023, as a graduate transfer with one year of eligibility remaining.[30][31] As a graduate transfer, he was granted immediate eligibility under NCAA rules, allowing him to start without a sit-out period.[32] Hartman started all 12 regular-season games for Notre Dame in 2023, passing for 2,689 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions while adding 123 rushing yards and 3 rushing touchdowns.[3] He adapted to head coach Marcus Freeman's pro-style offense, a shift from the spread system at Wake Forest that emphasized under-center snaps and structured dropbacks, though he faced critiques for average arm strength that limited some deep throws.[33][34] Despite these challenges, Hartman was lauded for his leadership, fostering team energy across offense and defense while elevating the Fighting Irish to a 9-3 regular-season record.[35][36] In his debut against Navy on August 26 in Dublin, Ireland, Hartman completed 19 of 23 passes for 251 yards and 4 touchdowns, tying a Notre Dame record for touchdown passes in a debut performance and powering a 42-3 victory.[37] However, he encountered struggles in key losses, such as the September 23 matchup against Ohio State, where he went 17 of 25 for 175 yards and 1 touchdown with no interceptions in a narrow 17-14 defeat.[38][39] After Notre Dame's 10-3 overall finish, Hartman opted out of the Sun Bowl against Oregon State on December 29 to focus on NFL Draft preparation.[40][41]College statistics and awards
Over his college career spanning Wake Forest (2018–2022) and Notre Dame (2023), Sam Hartman amassed 15,656 passing yards, 134 passing touchdowns (including an ACC-record 110 during his Wake Forest tenure), and 49 interceptions, with a 59.8% completion rate across 60 games (52 starts).[3] He also contributed 978 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns on 461 attempts, alongside minimal receiving production of 1 reception for 3 yards.[3]Passing Statistics
Hartman's passing production was concentrated at Wake Forest, where he threw for 12,967 yards and 110 touchdowns over five seasons, before adding 2,689 yards and 24 touchdowns in his lone year at Notre Dame.[3]| Season | Team | Games | Completions | Attempts | Yards | Touchdowns | Interceptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Wake Forest | 9 | 161 | 291 | 1,984 | 16 | 8 |
| 2019 | Wake Forest | 4 | 55 | 97 | 830 | 4 | 2 |
| 2020 | Wake Forest | 9 | 159 | 273 | 2,224 | 13 | 5 |
| 2021 | Wake Forest | 14 | 299 | 508 | 4,228 | 39 | 14 |
| 2022 | Wake Forest | 12 | 270 | 428 | 3,701 | 38 | 12 |
| 2023 | Notre Dame | 12 | 191 | 301 | 2,689 | 24 | 8 |
| Career | 60 | 1,135 | 1,898 | 15,656 | 134 | 49 |
Rushing Statistics
Hartman showed dual-threat capability, particularly in 2021 when he rushed for 363 yards and 11 touchdowns, though his net rushing was lower in other seasons due to sacks.[3] Career totals reflect 978 net yards and 20 touchdowns.| Season | Team | Games | Attempts | Yards | Touchdowns |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Wake Forest | 9 | 107 | 275 | 2 |
| 2019 | Wake Forest | 4 | 27 | 89 | 1 |
| 2020 | Wake Forest | 9 | 63 | -1 | 2 |
| 2021 | Wake Forest | 14 | 117 | 363 | 11 |
| 2022 | Wake Forest | 12 | 102 | 129 | 1 |
| 2023 | Notre Dame | 12 | 45 | 123 | 3 |
| Career | 60 | 461 | 978 | 20 |