Wake Forest Football: Breaking down Demon Deacons’ 2019 QB battle

Sam Hartman

Sam Hartman started the first game of the 2018 season for the Demon Deacons, which was an overtime win against Tulane where he threw for 378 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions and added 64 yards on the ground.

The next eight games were up and down for Hartman. He found success against the weaker teams (Towson and Rice) and struggled against the better teams (Boston College, Notre Dame, Clemson and even Florida State).

However, the last two games that he played in before he got hurt you started seeing him improve and play with more consistency. He had a good game against Louisville that Wake Forest won and a good game against Syracuse, that was close until Syracuse pulled away in the fourth.

Hartman finished his true freshman season with 1,984 yards passing, 275 yards rushing, 18 total touchdowns and eight interceptions in nine games.

Even in the games in which he struggled, he showed poise and the potential as a quarterback. The growth was evident in each game and Hartman was a big reason Wake Forest went to a bowl game again in 2018, despite missing the last few games of the season.

Hartman plays comfortably in the pocket and is a good enough athlete to run when he needs to. It is evident he spends a lot of time working on the small details of his game as he is a polished quarterback with good footwork and is mechanically sound.

One thing I would like to see in 2019 is Hartman taking more deep shots which, regardless if completed or not, will help open up the field for him and Wake’s offense. Let’s look at a few clips of Hartman and why he has potential to be a solid quarterback for Wake the next few years.

Below is a clip of Hartman doing a nice job moving in the pocket, but keeping his eyes downfield and delivering an accurate ball. A great example of doing small things correctly that can lead to touchdowns.

This next clip is a play against Clemson, a game in which Hartman struggled and Wake got blown out. But if you watch the film, Hartman still did some things well against the national champs. Good ball down the middle between the backer and safeties.

Hartman is a solid passer and a smart runner who knows when he can pick up the necessary yards.