2021 TE Target Sam Hart Is A "Complete Guy"
Sam Hart may be a 2021 prospect, but the recruiting process isn’t new to him.
Not only does the Colorado tight end have several offers from programs like Notre Dame, Ohio State, Virginia Tech, Penn State, Texas and USC among others, but Hart has plenty of familiarity with the process through his family.
“He has seen all of this before because he had a big brother who played at Minnesota, his dad played at Minnesota and his other big brother is a three-year starting middle linebacker at New Mexico,” says Warren McCarty.
“So, football at a high level, college football, none of it is foreign to him. He’s seen a lot of ball and grew up in a family where football is in the discussion. I think his exposure is something that has allowed him to learn quickly and function at a high level.”
McCarty, who spent more than a decade in pro football at a variety of levels including coach, scout and front office, now runs Warrior Recruiting, helping high school prospects navigate recruiting and is working with Hart.
McCarty also credits Hart’s wrestling background with helping him on the gridiron.
“I’m not a wrestler, I’m not somebody who really likes wrestling, but I know it’s a mentally and physically demanding sport,” says McCarty. “For a guy like Sam, just the mental toughness piece of it. In wrestling, you’re relying on yourself and your mental toughness to get through the battle and win. When it comes to 7-on-7 and us coaching him up hard, he can handle it. When it comes to him being pressed at the line of scrimmage or dudes trying to get physical with their hands, that’s nothing compared to what he deals with on the wrestling mat.”
And, there’s more.
“Then, he’s just a freak athlete,” McCarty chuckles.
“You combine those three things and you get something special.”
McCarty says Hart is a “complete” player at tight end.
“He can run by you, he can shake you out in the open field or he can just out-physical you,” he continues. “He’s got all three elements to his game. Some tight ends, especially now, are really basketball dudes or they’re overgrown receivers or you get the opposite, where really this a glorified lineman who is kind of athletic.
“With Sam, you get all three. He’ll block your ass in the dirt. He’ll go up and get the rock or he’ll run by you or shake you. He can run routes. He’s the total package in terms of a tight end prospect.”
Off the field, Hart is different.
“Sam is a dog on the field and a puppy off,” says McCarty. “He is baby-faced and quiet. He doesn’t speak unless spoken to, just humble pie. He’s not an introvert. He’s usually got a grin on his face, but he’s very chill and laid-back.”
Hart heads back to Notre Dame this weekend for another unofficial visit after taking one earlier this summer. He’s clearly interested in the Irish.
“It’s tradition, not only at the tight end position,” McCarty says. “It’s Notre Dame and I’m sure that’s the same for every recruit who takes an official or unofficial there. It’s Notre Dame. They have a rich history of tight ends.
“His family is originally from the Midwest. They’re Midwestern folks. He grew up in Minnesota before they came out here. I think being in the Midwest isn’t a foreign idea. A lot of Colorado kids want to stay out West or in the desert or whatever. He’s not at all opposed to being in the Midwest. There’s some family familiarity there and the traditional positional success that Notre Dame has had. That ain’t a tough sell for a tight end.”
McCarty says Hart won’t rush into a decision, but also won’t let the process play out too long.
“He’s going to keep his options open, but certainly by late spring at the latest, he’ll be ready to commit.”