New Notre Dame QB Sam Hartman adjusting to the Irish in spring camp

SOUTH BEND, Ind – Notre Dame football is preparing for Blue-Gold game, which is just three weeks away.

Five practices into this spring football session and the quarterbacks are starting to find their rhythm, or are they?

The quarterbacks are really trying to play it down.

Right now, Tyler Buchner has limited playing experience but he is technically the veteran in the quarterback room for Notre Dame. 

Transfer quarterback Sam Hartman says, despite this being his sixth spring football of his career, he is in a new position of playing catch up. From the playbook and formations to verbiage. It's all new and all part of the competition with Buchner. 

“The only time we ever did it was victory formation. So, you know, it was a pretty low stake. Senator quarterback exchanges. So yeah, it's just definitely a learning curve, for me,” Hartman said. 

“He's getting used to just a different tempo, like he's used to going 100 miles an hour at Wake Forest. He's used to being in shotgun single play and so some of the things is breaking the huddle, getting in the huddle, getting under center. Some of that's a little bit of adjustment for him, but he's embracing it,” added quarterback coach Gino Guidugli. 

“Really Tyler, I feel like has a master mastery at it. So, it's been fun to learn from him, watch him, you know, he's a lot more smooth than I am. Admittedly, he's a lot better athlete than I am as well. So, he's kind of got me on a lot of those. But it's been cool to watch and, you know. I watch his footwork every time I think that'd be, that'd be nice, but we'll get there one day,” Hartman added.

“This year Sam is kind of trying to figure things out and learn the playbook and you said he's watching you and your footwork and all of these things. So, you're sort of like helping and being a mentor, but at the same time you're competing for your own position?” asked ABC57’s Allison Hayes. 

“Yeah, I mean, Sam’s selling himself, sure he doesn't need my help. Sam's done like an unbelievable job of getting himself prepared, from the moment he got here. Works his tail off, he's always in the building, studying all the time. So, if he doesn't give himself enough credit, he works his butt off and you know, I learned from him,” Bucher said. 

While there is still that learning curve, new quarterbacks’ coach Gino Guidugli says there is no lack of talent in this Notre Dame quarterback room. 

“Love them. Great group of guys, they work, they compete. Really smart group. So excited to see their growth and development through the rest of the spring. Tyler and Steve obviously have a great foundation of our offense. Gerad kept a lot of the same things in place that they were doing the last few years,” Guidugli added.

Sam Hartman also mentioned you will rarely hear him say that he's truly happy with anything but he said if he had to pick one thing, it would be his ability to get in and out of the huddle.