The NCAA Transfer Portal received a huge boost when it was announced that Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman opted to leave the Demon Deacons and play one final season elsewhere in 2023. Hartman, a staple at Wake Forest for a half-decade, stands as one of the top players overall to enter the transfer portal this cycle.

Sam Hartman Enters Transfer Portal

First reported by ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Hartman entered the transfer portal on December 27, immediately making him one of the top players available.

Hartman finished his illustrious Wake Forest career with a masterful performance against Missouri in the Gasparilla Bowl. Against the Tigers, Hartman threw for three touchdowns, pushing his career passing touchdown total to 110, an ACC career record.

It also pushed Hartman’s 2022 total to 38 touchdowns, giving him 77 touchdowns over the past two seasons combined. His 17 career rushing touchdowns gave him a whopping 127 total touchdowns in his five-year career at Wake Forest.

Hartman mastered the Dave Clawson offense that revolutionized the run-pass option. With longer mesh points that make decision-making easier on the quarterback, Hartman found ways to carve up defenses left and right throughout his career.

More: 2022 College Football Transfer Portal Tracker

Yet it wasn’t all touchdowns and smiles for Hartman throughout his career. He battled adversity, including surgery to remove a blood clot (and a rib) before the 2022 season started that originally put his final season in Winston-Salem in jeopardy.

Hartman also battled through QB competition to start his career, splitting starts with Jamie Newman in 2018, losing the starting job to Newman in 2019, and ultimately taking the role back and forcing Newman to transfer in 2020.

In the end, however, Newman finished his final three seasons at Wake Forest with a tremendous resume and undoubtedly left his mark in the ACC history books in more ways than one.

His NFL Draft stock likely in mind with his transfer, Hartman’s next-level prognosis is hinged upon his success in running a pro-style offense and not the long-mesh Wake offense. It’s likely that his transfer destination will suit his skillset and his services will likely land with a program that can put him on the big stage immediately.

Notre Dame was the first school that popped up on the radar, initially reported by Thamel. The Fighting Irish lost QB Drew Pyne to the transfer portal and have certainly been linked to adding to the position in the portal this offseason.

Hartman’s arm talent is unquestionable but his decision-making and ability to make pre-snap reads will certainly be tested at a new destination. Whether that’s good news for his next-level status will be answered sooner than later no matter where he transfers to.

It will also go a long way at telling the 2023 version for whichever program he lands in the win-loss column.