Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson recently expressed his view that Notre Dame’s treatment of graduate transfer Sam Hartman might have been a bit over the top. Hartman spent five seasons with the Demon Deacons before opting to use his final year of eligibility with the Fighting Irish.
Clawson humorously remarked that Notre Dame “only dated” the quarterback compared to his extended stay in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
“Notre Dame bought him and rented him for a year, and now they’re acting like they’ve always had him?” Clawson told reporters. “This is the state of college football.”
Clawson witnessed the tribute Notre Dame gave Hartman on senior day when the Fighting Irish decisively defeated Wake Forest 45-7 in their final home game.
While the praise for Hartman might have seemed a bit much, his impact on the field and his leadership in the locker room were undeniable. Clawson clarified that he holds no resentment towards Hartman for his departure from Wake Forest.
“I had a great conversation with Sam before and after the game, and I genuinely care for him,” Clawson said. “I don’t fault him at all for making that choice. Given the current system, and the chance to gain such an experience and earn significant money in one year, who can blame him?”
Clawson acknowledged that this is the new norm in college athletics due to the one-time transfer rule. Even prior to this, players like Hartman could choose to play their final season elsewhere after earning their degree.
It’s likely that Clawson will eventually look to the transfer portal for an immediate quarterback solution, at which point his own comments may come back into focus.