Wake Forest’s Dave Clawson Says Notre Dame QB Sam Hartman is Still a Demon Deacon: ‘We Had 5 Years With Him, You Rented Him For a Season’

Sam Hartman might be finishing his collegiate career with Notre Dame, but to Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson, the 24-year-old will always be a Demon Deacon.

Hartman, after five years and an ACC-record 110 passing touchdowns with Wake Forest, transferred to Notre Dame this past January. Last Saturday, the two programs faced off in South Bend, Indiana, in a reunion between the talented signal caller and his former team.

With this being Hartman's final season of college eligibility, he was part of the Fighting Irish's Senior Day festivities prior to their 45-7 win against the Demon Deacons.

However, Clawson thinks Notre Dame shouldn't get to claim the quarterback over Wake Forest.

"Here's a guy that we recruited, and we developed, and they're putting a video [up] on him saying, 'We will always love you.' And I'm like, 'You only dated him for a couple of months, it can't be love,'" Clawson, with a grin, told reporters on Tuesday. "We're the ones that love him. We had five years with him, you rented him for a season."

In Hartman's final two seasons in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, he tossed 77 touchdowns against 26 interceptions, with the Demon Deacons reaching the ACC Championship Game in 2021 and winning the Gasparilla Bowl last year.

Without the right-handed gunslinger, Wake Forest (4-7, 1-6 in the ACC) has struggled. Current quarterback, redshirt sophomore Mitch Griffis, is completing just 59.9% of his attempts for nine touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Even with a road win on Saturday against Syracuse, the Demon Deacons will finish with their lowest conference win total since Clawson's second year at the helm in 2015.

Notre Dame (8-3), on the other hand, may not be in contention for a spot in the College Football Playoff, but heading into a Saturday road matchup against Stanford, the Fighting Irish still have a 10-win season within reach.

Hartman has been a key reason why, completing a career-best 63.8% of his throws for 22 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He has also been sacked just 14 times (tied for the 21st-least in the country) a testament to the Fighting Irish's sturdy offensive line and his scrambling ability.

Add in the fact that during his time in South Bend, Hartman has inked name, image and likeness (NIL) deals with brands such Dollar Shave Club and Beats by Dre, and the his decision to join the Fighting Irish appears to have paid off on the field and off.

It will still be weird, though, for the lasting image of Hartman at the college level to occur in a Notre Dame uniform and not a Wake Forest one.

Clawson, however, acknowledges that it's part of the new reality of college football.

"Sam and I had a great discussion before the game, and after the game," he added. "I love the young man, I really do, and I don't blame him at all for what he did.

"That's the system now, and for him to have the opportunity to have that experience and make that type of money in one year, who can fault him?"