Sam Hartman: Uncertain start may put CFB stardom on hold
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (BVM) – Wake Forest was one of the bigger surprises of the 2021 college football season after ending its year at the top of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Behind over 4,000 passing yards and nearly 40 touchdowns, redshirt junior Sam Hartman cemented himself as not only one of the top quarterbacks in the conference, but maybe in the country.
SAM HARTMAN IS TAKING OVER THE GAME 👀 pic.twitter.com/DUMihboiQb
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) December 5, 2021
The standout year penciled Hartman in as one of 2022’s trendiest picks to top the nation in passing entering the upcoming season. The rise to the top of the offseason buzz would, however, hit an unfortunate snag just weeks out from game day, following the announcement that the Demon Deacons star was ruled out indefinitely with a non-football-related medical condition. The timeline of his return to the field has not been set, but Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson gave hint that he expects a return this season, just not Week 1.
“We are going to see how he does and see how things progress,” Clawson told the ACC Network. “We’re optimistic that we are going to have him back this season and we’ll know a lot more in the next two weeks as to when that’s going to be.”
Hartman has been a stalwart at the quarterback position throughout his time at Wake Forest, dating back to his true freshman season. The 6-foot-1 quarterback started in nine games his opening year, passing for nearly 2,000 yards. The promising start may have surprised some, but Hartman entered the program with increased expectations after appearing in the Netflix docuseries, “QB1: Beyond the Lights.”
The show – which followed Hartman around throughout his senior season at Oceanside Collegiate Academy in South Carolina – showcased the Charlotte native who passed for over 3,000 yards during the campaign.
After starting as a freshman in 2018, Hartman would eventually lose his starting gig to Jamie Newman for the majority of the 2019 season. Hartman would go on to regain the spot towards the end of the same year and has been unwilling to relinquish the job since. After the up-and-down sophomore season, the Wake Forest quarterback has gone on to become one of college football’s top signal-callers over the past two years. During his redshirt sophomore and junior seasons, Hartman has racked up 6,452 yards through the air and 52 touchdowns, earning him second team All-ACC honors in 2021.
Last year, the standout campaign helped Wake Forest tie its most winningest season with 11 wins, as the program enjoyed a Gator Bowl win over Rutgers.
If Hartman does return for the 2022 season, many are expecting an even bigger breakout for the Demon Deacons star. Hartman was named to the watch list for the nation’s top upperclassmen quarterback this preseason and could have even higher expectations depending on his return to action. After passing on the 2022 NFL Draft, Hartman was hoping he could add to his resume this season, as the positive momentum seemed to roll on.
“It’s one of the reasons I came back,” Hartman said during ACC media days. “‘It’s a legacy, right?’ Wake Forest invested in me, and I want to invest back in Wake Forest. I felt like I owed it to them and their belief in me. … I wanted to make it right.”
Hartman currently slots in among the elite quarterbacks around the sport, ranking in the top-10 last season in both passing yards and touchdowns. His totals paced right behind 2022 NFL first-round draft choice Kenny Pickett. With Wake Forest returning top wide receiver A.T. Perry and up-and-coming redshirt sophomore Taylor Morin, the Demon Deacons offense should find much of the same success.
With Mitch Griffis set to take over for the Demon Deacons first game of the year against Virginia Military Institute, the watch for Hartman to return will continue following the opening matchup. For both Wake Forest and the college football world, the sport will continue to await the timeline of one the nation’s premier players.
