Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM MAY 2023 25 more well-rounded one. One whose eyes don't swell to the size of a football when it's time to ditch a shotgun formation. That hasn't taken long to achieve. Just extra hours and hard work with Notre Dame quarterbacks coach Gino Guidugli. "Gino has been great working with me before and after practice and on our off days as much as I can," Hartman said. "Working with the backs, working with the center. It's going to come with time. "It's just a lot of reps and rhythm and getting a feel for which way is for- ward and backward. It's been cool. It's a different part of the game I haven't experienced." Notre Dame junior quarterback Tyler Buchner has been just as influential as Guidugli in Hartman honing a craft that was once so foreign to him — except when the Demon Deacons were kneeling down at the end of some of his 28 victories as a starter in a Wake Forest uniform, of course. Hartman is the elder statesmen of the Notre Dame quarterback room, but that doesn't always make him the teacher. In many ways this spring, he's been the stu- dent. "Tyler has a mastery at [going under center], so it's been fun to learn from him and watch him," Hartman said. "He's a lot smoother than I am. Admittedly, he's a lot better athlete than I am. So he kind of has me on a lot of those." Hartman watches Bu- chner's footwork every practice. He quipped that it "would be nice" to possess it someday. Hartman turns 24 this summer, though. Late-blooming extra ath- leticism is a pipe dream. He is who he is; a 6-1 1 ⁄8, 210-pounder who physically looks more like predecessor Drew Pyne in his No. 10 Notre Dame jersey than he does a surefire, can't- miss NFL prospect. Hartman's arm talent for his size minimizes the gap, though, and his yearning for learning is unrivaled. It's not just Hartman's dedication to dial- ing in on under-center training. How many sixth-year seniors are willing — and unashamed enough — to ask a player in his third semester of college questions mid-practice? Hartman is. "It's a huge testament to who he is as a person," said sophomore quarterback Steve Angeli, humbled answerer of those questions. "I'm a redshirt sophomore, and he's asking me questions about the offense and trying to get my input. "It's really cool to have a guy like that who has done it for five years, has competed at a high level and has done everything I'm aspiring to do ask me questions about the offense I've only been in for a year." At some point, Hartman needs to figure things out on his own if he's go- ing to be the player Notre Dame envi- sioned him being when the Irish pulled him from the transfer portal in January. He still has over four months to get there, though, which is plenty of time to continue being the guy who's comfort- able enough with himself to ask every- one around him how he can be better. "I feel like I'm taking steps in the right direction," Hartman said. "But I'm still learning a lot and still trying to forget the old reactions and take in the new ones." Hartman's assimilation into the Notre Dame offense is one of many spring slate storylines. Here are some others. GOING DOWNFIELD Angeli peeled the curtain back a bit in a press setting without realizing it. He was asked about the differences between the Notre Dame offense led by former coordinator Tommy Rees and that of Gerad Parker, who was promoted to replace Rees in February. Angeli said Notre Dame wants to be an offensive- line dominant, run-first team as it was with Rees around. That won't change. Something will, however. "With Coach Parker opening it up with passing a bit more and seeing the young receivers and guys that are juniors and seniors and some sopho- mores being able to finally make plays downfield, I think we're becoming very multiple," Angeli said. That might be less of a Parker thing and more of a personnel-driven devia- tion, but Angeli said it himself — the Irish should have more of a vertical pass- ing attack in 2023 than it did in 2022. Hartman was one of the best deep- ball throwers in college football at Wake Forest. He led the country in average throw depth (12.8 yards per Pro Football Focus) and had more air yards (2,657) than anyone in the FBS, too. He needs pass catchers to meet him halfway, though, and it seems that won't be an issue. Sophomore wide receiver Tobias Mer- riweather has emerged as a potential starter after only catching one pass as a true freshman. He's gotten bigger be- tween the ears and more brawny between the shoulders. Size, speed and smarts are going to get him on the field more in his second year with the program. Hartman showed a chemistry with Merriweather in spring practices that will only continue to get stronger in the summer and during fall camp. Still, Hartman said on March 31 it was too early to tell who his top target would be. Take that as a good thing; it could be Merriweather, it could be any one of three early enrollee true freshmen wide receivers (Rico Flores Jr., Jaden Great- house or Braylon James), it could be any one of three juniors (Deion Colzie, Jayden Thomas or Lorenzo Styles) who have already had a taste of college ball, or it could be Virginia Tech graduate transfer Kaleb Smith. Notre Dame has more options at the wide receiver position than it has boasted in the last handful of years. "As a quarterback, you want to have "I feel like I'm taking steps in the right direction. But I'm still learning a lot and still trying to forget the old reactions and take in the new ones." QUARTERBACK SAM HARTMAN