Mike Golic Jr. on Notre Dame with Sam Hartman: It feels different

Sam Hartman has wasted no time proving why he was the highest-rated quarterback out of the transfer portal this season.

Notre Dame is 4-0 and ranked No. 9 in the nation heading into Week 4 thanks to his services, and it’s no surprise to some — including former NFL player and Notre Dame alum turned media personality Mike Golic Jr. — who joined On3’s Andy Staples to discuss Hartman and how he’s helped turn Notre Dame into a legitimate contender this season.

The feeling around the program is different, according to Golic, and he believes Hartman is directly responsible for it.

“I got to spend time with Sam at a couple of different junctures during the summer and you’re overwhelmed in-person by the maturity — which you should with a 24-year-old quarterback playing his sixth-year of college football — but it’s not a given for everybody,” Golic told Staples. “It was the seamless understanding that Notre Dame is going to be a step up in attention from what he’s dealt with as one of the best players in the ACC.

“He understands the history. He was in lockstep with Marcus Freeman from the jump … He’s one of the most efficient passers in the country, so I think culturally and from a leadership standpoint, he’s everything you wanted and more and so far, the play has matched that, too.”

After four games, Hartman ranks fifth in the nation in passing yards with 1,061 to go with a nation-leading 13 touchdowns — not to mention zero interceptions over 97 passing attempts entering Saturday’s matchup.

Notre Dame is going to need that maturity out of Hartman when the Irish host Ohio State on Saturday, and if the first quarter of the season is any indication — Hartman and company will be looking to send the Buckeyes back to Columbus with their first los of the season.

Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day told reporters earlier this week that Hartman was obviously a veteran — you can see it in the way he plays. He’s accurate, intelligent and has all the attributes that goes into making a star quarterback, according to Day.

The battle between the two top-10 programs is set to kick off on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET live on NBC. The Irish will enter the back half of game week as a three-point underdogs, per Vegas Insider, despite being the home team. Hartman won’t make it easy on the Buckeyes to cover, either.