Clawson dismayed by Notre Dame's celebration of 'rented' Hartman

Head coach Dave Clawson was skeptical of Notre Dame's send-off for former Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman.

The Fighting Irish honored the senior passer during their home finale against Clawson's Demon Deacons last Saturday, and the coach was taken aback when the song "I Will Always Love You" played after Notre Dame's 45-7 win.

"They're putting a video of him, saying, 'We will always love you,'" Clawson said, according to ESPN's David Hale. "Like, you only dated him for a couple of months. It can't be love. We're the ones that love him. We had five years with him. You rented him for a season."

He added: "(Notre Dame) bought him and rented him for a year, and now they love him? This is where college football is."

Hartman, 24, set career passing marks for yards, touchdowns, and completions during his five years at Wake Forest. He also led the Deacons to the program's second ACC Championship Game appearance.

Hartman entered the transfer portal following the 2022 season and ultimately committed to Notre Dame last December. The signal-caller has thrown for 2,549 yards, 22 touchdowns, and seven interceptions with a 158.79 passer rating through 11 games with the Irish.

Clawson shared that he had a conversation with Hartman, saying that while he admires his former pupil, he also understands the desire to secure a lucrative NIL deal.

"I don't blame him at all for what he did. That's the system now. For him to have the opportunity to have that experience, and make that type of money in one year, who can fault him?" Clawson said.

Hartman didn't hold back against his former team, passing for 277 yards and four scores.