Joe Alt talks Sam Hartman, how quickly he assimilated to Notre Dame team culture

Notre Dame sits at 3-0 and is gearing up for a highly anticipated rematch with Ohio State this weekend. And thanks to quarterback Sam Hartman, Las Vegas is predicting a closer matchup than last year.

Ohio State will enter as a 3.5-point favorite, according to FanDuel.

But if Hartman gets going, watch out. He can change the outcome in a hurry. That’s something Notre Dame teammates have found out watching him get acclimated to the team after transferring in from Wake Forest.

“Yeah, it was quick. It was kind of, when we heard he was coming in, you’re always kind of like, oh, new guy in the locker room, it’s going to be different,” offensive lineman Joe Alt said on the Andy Staples On3 show. “But it was immediate. He stepped in and you just felt connected to the guy, you felt a relationship begin and grow and you knew that it was going to grow.”

Hartman has already thrown for a nation-leading 13 touchdowns, racking up 1,061 yards passing without an interception.

If his accolades preceded him with the transfer to Notre Dame, teammates have quickly found out they were hard-earned, not given to him. Hartman has impressed at every turn.

“Now we get to play with him and still same guy in the locker room, still your buddy, your brother in the locker room, but then on the field he’s such a confident person because he puts the work in, because he studies the film so much and prepares and mentally prepares,” Alt said. “Then there’s just a confidence out there with him. It’s been a lot of fun.

“That friendship and that relationship has grown literally from Day 1, it’s been great.”

The Fighting Irish are already 4-0 on the season, and they’re coming off back-to-back impressive wins, first on the road at NC State and then at home against Central Michigan.

Now Ohio State rolls into town. And there’s a lot on the line. Possible playoff spot. Heisman Trophy standing. Pride.

Through all of that, Sam Hartman is leading the way with his attitude. It’s the same attitude he’s had since he first stepped foot in the Notre Dame locker room.

“It’s all about going to work, and I think that’s what we try to do is stay in the present,” Alt said. “Every week, every day it’s staying in the moment, staying in the now. How am I going to capture this opportunity, capture this moment to get better at something I’m going to do?”