Sam Hartman addresses hard feelings over skipping Sun Bowl

Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Sam Hartman. Ivan Pierre Aguirre-USA TODAY Sports

Notre Dame QB Sam Hartman responds to disappointment over opting out of Sun Bowl

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated 12/30/23

After choosing to sit out the Sun Bowl, Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman raised eyebrows. On Friday, he explained the reasoning behind his "extremely" difficult decision.

Speaking with Jenny Dell of CBS Sports during No. 16 Notre Dame's 40-8 win over No. 19 Oregon State, Hartman said he sat the game out to give backup QB Steve Angeli and others a shot at shining on a big stage.

"The Notre Dame fan base and the entire community has been incredible to me," Hartman said. "If I disappointed some people, I want to apologize. But to give Steve and everybody an opportunity to go out and execute and play well is something that I'll always cherish."

Angeli took full advantage of the chance given to him. In his first career start, the sophomore finished 15-of-19 for 232 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions, helping lead Notre Dame to the blowout win.

With the Irish up 17-0 in the third quarter, Angeli scrambled up the middle for a big gain, ending his run by lowering his shoulder into an Oregon State defender. Angeli's aggressive run pleased Hartman, who watched from the sidelines as cameras caught the QB smiling ear-to-ear after the play.

Steve Angeli lowers the shoulder and Sam Hartman is loving it! pic.twitter.com/4kYKTWGaHv
— CBS Sports College Football (@CBSSportsCFB) December 29, 2023

Now that Hartman has his sights set on the NFL, his decision to pass on the Sun Bowl may have looked self-serving. However, that take is probably off base. Would he have rather risked getting hurt in an essentially meaningless game before embarking on a professional career? Probably not. Nevertheless, sitting the game out benefited others more than it did him.

He wasn't the only player to opt out of Friday's game, joined by running back Audric Estime and offensive tackles Joe Alt and Blake Fisher. However, those three expect to hear their names called during the NFL Draft in April, with Alt predicted to be a first-round pick. Hartman, on the other hand, may go very late or go unselected. So, playing the bowl game would likely have had zero impact on his draft stock.

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