Sam Hartman enrolled at Wake Forest this semester after graduating high school a semester early. In his senior season at Oceanside High School, the three-star quarterback threw for 3093 yards and 29 touchdowns and rushed for nine more scores.

With senior John Wolford leaving the Deacs this year, the quarterback spot is up for grabs and Sam Hartman will be competing hard for playing time with three other quarterbacks on the depth chart.

LEO KONE: You’re on the show QB1 on complex.com which shows your senior season at the less than talented Oceanside High School after transferring from powerhouse Davidson Day, where you played running back Cade Carney. What was your reasoning for transferring your senior year after having so much success at Davidson Day?

SAM HARTMAN: QB1 perfectly depicts the low level of competition at Oceanside. The main reason I transferred down there was to focus on my leadership skills and to try to take over a locker room of guys that I have never met. That’s something that I want to do up here at Wake. I learned a lot from that experience.

LK: You just arrived here this semester and are still adjusting to the college life — what has that been like for you?

SH: My first experiences here have been great. Academically it’s hard, very hard, but a lot of good times have come of it, especially the aspect of getting to meet new people. I have gotten to meet a lot of athletes and there are definitely some characters.

Football has been great so far, it’s definitely a lot of work. The speed of the game has changed a lot, just the athleticism of everyone around you is at another level. All of the guys are just bigger, faster and stronger. It’s crazy going from playing with the guys at Oceanside to playing with ‘Big Phil’ (Phil Haynes, Sr. Offensive Guard). It’s actually pretty cool to be playing with such incredible athletes, the wide receiver core is amazing up here, so it’s nice to be able to throw balls and have those guys make plays for me.

LK: Do you have a favorite receiving target yet?

SH: I’m going to hurt some guys’ feelings right now, but I’m going to have to say my man Steve (Claude), number 88, that’s my boy right now. We’ve had some good connections so far.

LK: What are your goals for the Demon Deacons football team next year?

SH: The next big step for the team is to win an ACC championship. It’s hard for me to say at this point if that’s achievable as I’ve only been to a few practices so far. I certainly want to be an ACC champ and that is what everyone is working toward. We just have to take it one day at a time.

LK: How do you see yourself helping the team next year, especially if you redshirt?

SH: If I redshirt, the main thing I’ll try to do is make sure that the other freshmen that are redshirting stay involved and buy into the culture that the older guys have set for us. The culture is something that has already been engrained in me and the other mid-years.

I mean if there is a chance that I don’t redshirt, I just want to be the best leader that I can be and push for wins week in and week out.

LK: Who do you look up to as a quarterback and who do you model your game after? 

SH: NFL guys that I look up to are Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre. I always modeled my game after them. In this offense and for college football quarterbacks, I’m a big John Wolford guy ‘#WhyNotJohn,’ and I wish him all the best in his future endeavors. Just from watching his tape of last year and off the field, he’s really helped me understand this offense, so he’s been a good role model to me.

LK: All the girls on campus would be mad if I didn’t ask, are you a single man?

SH: Yes, I am currently a single man. But my mom is the number one woman in my life, so if you can win her over then you got me.