Former Wake Forest and Notre Dame QB Sam Hartman Is the Next Bachelor
ABC named Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Hartman the lead of The Bachelor Season 30 on Friday, Nov. 13, 2026. Before he started handing out roses, Hartman was one of the most productive passers in college football history. He spent five seasons at Wake Forest and a final season at Notre Dame. Here is his college career, his NFL path, and what to know about his season.
Who is Sam Hartman, the new Bachelor?
Sam Hartman is a 27-year-old quarterback from Charlotte, North Carolina. He is on the Washington Commanders practice squad, where he has been the backup behind Jayden Daniels. ABC revealed him as the Season 30 lead on Good Morning America. "I'm excited but also very nervous," he said in his first interview. He added a joke about the format: "I have a tough time holding conversation with one girl. Thirty is going to be pretty tough." Football fans may also know him from the documentary series QB1: Beyond the Lights.
Sam Hartman at Wake Forest (2018 to 2022)
Hartman won the starting job at Wake Forest as a true freshman in 2018 and played five seasons for the Demon Deacons. He left Winston-Salem with ACC records for career touchdown passes and 300-yard passing games. In 2022 he was diagnosed with Paget-Schroetter syndrome, a rare condition that causes blood clots in a vein near the collarbone. He returned to the field that season and won the ACC's Brian Piccolo Award, which honors the conference's most courageous football player.
Sam Hartman at Notre Dame (2023)
After the 2022 season, Hartman transferred to Notre Dame for his final year of eligibility. He won the starting job in South Bend and started 12 games for the Fighting Irish in 2023. Counting both schools, he played 60 college games over six seasons and finished with more than 15,600 passing yards and 134 touchdown passes. That makes him a classic trivia trap: he is remembered as a Notre Dame quarterback, but most of his records came at Wake Forest.
Sam Hartman in the NFL
Hartman went undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft and signed with the Commanders as an undrafted free agent. He is now in his third year with Washington. He has spent most of that time on the practice squad and has been elevated to the active roster twice, but he has not yet appeared in a regular-season game. His season premieres in March, during the NFL offseason.
When does Sam Hartman's season of The Bachelor premiere?
The Bachelor Season 30 premieres Sunday, March 21, 2027, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, and episodes stream the next day on Hulu. It is the show's first season since it skipped 2025 to 2026. It is also moving to Sunday nights after airing on Mondays for its entire run.
Athletes who led The Bachelor before Sam Hartman
Hartman joins a short list of athletes picked to lead the show. Former NFL quarterback Jesse Palmer, who played his college football at Florida, led Season 5. Former soccer player Juan Pablo Galavis led Season 18, former race car driver Arie Luyendyk Jr. led Season 22, and former NFL practice squad player Colton Underwood led Season 23.
Sources
Details come from ABC News and Good Morning America, Deadline, Entertainment Weekly, Bleacher Report and ClutchPoints, all published Nov. 13, 2026.
Could You Guess Sam Hartman's College?
Players like Hartman, who made their name at one school and finished at another, are what make college trivia hard. Test yourself in today's guess the NFL players college puzzle, or play Guess the College Unlimited and keep your streak alive until you miss. For more quarterbacks, see our NFL players college quiz guide.