Hartman Named to O’Brien Award Watch List

FORT WORTH, Texas – For the second consecutive day, Wake Forest redshirt junior quarterback Sam Hartman was named to a national watch list ahead of the 2022 season, being placed on the Davey O'Brien Award Watch List Tuesday by the Davey O'Brien National Selection Committee.

Hartman is one of 12 returning semifinalists from a season ago and one of just two from the ACC. Additionally, this marks the first time since Riley Skinner in 2009 that a Wake Forest quarterback has been named to the preseason watch list for the award.

The redshirt junior from Charlotte, N.C. was added as a midseason watch list member last season after his first 300-plus yard performance of the year in a win over Louisville.

The Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award is presented annually to the nation's best college quarterback and is the oldest and most prestigious national quarterback award.

The official Davey O'Brien Midseason Watch List will be released on Tuesday, Oct. 18, and will contain all active quarterbacks from the Preseason Watch List, all players honored as a weekly Great 8 recipient through the season's first seven weeks and any additional quarterbacks approved by the selection subcommittee.

The Midseason Watch List will then be pared down to the 35-player Davey O'Brien Quarterback Class of 2022 on Tuesday, Oct. 25.

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Hartman, who is one of eight returning semifinalists for the Maxwell Award from a year ago, goes into the 2022 season with 9,266 career passing yards, ranking second in program history. Additionally, he holds the program record with 72 career touchdown passes while also ranking in the top-five in program history in career completions, attempts, completion percentage and passing efficiency.

He is the only Wake Forest quarterback with three or more four-plus touchdown games in his career.

Last season, the Charlotte, N.C. native had a breakout sophomore campaign, being named a finalist for the Manning Award and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award while also being chosen as a Semifinalist for the Davey O'Brien Award.

He garnered Second Team All-ACC honors from the league, coaches and media, was the back-to-back ACC Quarterback of the Week (Oct. 25 and Nov. 1) and was named MVP of the 2021 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, finishing the game with 304 yards and three touchdown passes

His 50 total touchdowns ranked second in conference history and was just one away from tying the ACC record. Hartman threw for 4,228 yards in 2021, ranking sixth in ACC history and first in Wake Forest history. Additionally, he ran for 11 touchdowns, the second-most in program history by a Wake Forest quarterback.

So far this offseason, Hartman has earned Preseason First Team All-ACC from both Lindy's Sports and Athlon while also being named the Preseason ACC MVP by Lindy's Sports.

Preseason Honors

Sam Hartman