Freeman: Notre Dame's QB competition to extend into fall camp

Notre Dame is unlikely to name a starting quarterback following the conclusion of their spring practice sessions on April 22.

"The longer you can have a competition, the better, as long as it's making each other better," head coach Marcus Freeman told ESPN's Adam Rittenberg. "You want to keep it going as long as you can. We won't name a starter until we believe there's a clear-cut starter. Right now, it's a great competition, and I can foresee this going into the fall."

The Fighting Irish brought in Sam Hartman via the transfer portal this offseason. He set ACC records with 110 career touchdown passes and (21) 300-yard passing games while at Wake Forest. He holds most of the the Demon Deacons' passing records and won 27 games during his tenure.

As Hartman adjusts to a new system under offensive coordinator Gerad Parker, he also finds himself competing with Tyler Buchner for the starring role. Buchner started the 2022 season as the team’s starter before a shoulder injury caused him to miss the final 10 regular-season games. Yet, he returned under center to help guide Notre Dame to a Gator Bowl win over South Carolina with a 273 yard, three touchdown, and three interception performance.

"Tyler Buchner's not going to take a backseat to anybody," said quarterbacks coach Gino Guidugli.

Hartman admits that adjusting to a more pro-style offense "definitely been challenging, but I've been trying to do the best I can."

While both Hartman and Buchner want to win the starting gig, neither signal-caller holds any animosity towards the other.

"It's a weird deal for both of us in the sense of, nobody's like, 'Hey, screw you, I'm taking the job,' but at the end of the day, there's only one quarterback for the Fighting Irish, and both of us want it," Hartman said.

The Fighting Irish will kick off their season against Navy in Dublin, Ireland on August 26.