The Bachelor Season 30: Sam Hartman Named Lead

After two years off the air, The Bachelor is returning with a new face: Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Hartman. ABC announced on November 13, 2026 that the 27-year-old will lead the milestone 30th season of the long-running reality dating series, which premieres Sunday, March 21, 2027 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and streams the next day on Hulu, per ABC News.

Who Is Sam Hartman?

Samuel Hartman, born July 29, 1999 in Charlotte, North Carolina, is an American professional football quarterback for the Washington Commanders. He played five seasons of college football at Wake Forest before transferring to Notre Dame for his final season in 2023. At Wake Forest, he set school records for career passing attempts, completions, yards and touchdowns, and finished as the all-time leader in touchdown passes in Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) history, according to Wikipedia.

Hartman also appeared in Season 2 of the Netflix docuseries "QB1: Beyond the Lights" during his senior year of high school. Before college, he threw for 6,388 passing yards and 69 touchdowns across his sophomore and junior seasons at Davidson Day School in North Carolina.

Sam Hartman's College and NFL Career

At Wake Forest, Hartman led the Demon Deacons to the 2021 ACC Championship game and won the Gasparilla Bowl MVP twice. In 2022 he was diagnosed with Paget-Schroetter syndrome, a rare condition that causes blood clots near the collarbone, but returned to the field after surgery and received the ACC's Brian Piccolo Award, which recognizes the conference's "most courageous" player. He finished his college career with 134 touchdown passes, an ACC record.

Hartman went undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft before signing with the Washington Commanders as an undrafted free agent. He has spent time on both the active roster and the practice squad, signed a reserve/future contract in January 2025, and started the Commanders' first preseason game that August. As ESPN notes, athletes appearing on The Bachelor franchise is nothing new: Grant Ellis, a former college basketball player, starred in Season 29.

Sam Hartman on The Bachelor

Hartman revealed on Good Morning America that he was initially hesitant about joining the show. A conversation with former Bachelor star and host Jesse Palmer, himself a former NFL player, helped change his mind.

"He kind of gave me the insight and gave me kind of what it is and what it's not."

He added that the chance to find a lasting relationship was too appealing to pass up:

"When people are saying 'I do,' they don't ask you where you met, they just ask if you want to do it forever. I don't see any problem with that."

On the show, Hartman said he will be looking for someone with a competitive spirit and a drive for something that motivates him, as well as compassion and a sense of caregiving. His parents, a surgeon and a nurse, advised him to be himself and trust his instincts.

A Franchise Relaunch

Hartman's casting marks something of a relaunch for The Bachelor franchise. Season 30 will be the first flagship season in two years, following Grant Ellis's season in 2025. The franchise has also weathered a turbulent stretch, including the cancellation of a planned Bachelorette season starring Taylor Frankie Paul amid a domestic violence scandal, as People reported.

During his Good Morning America interview, Hartman also may have let slip that his brother is about to get engaged, joking, "Hopefully I didn't just spoil that."

How Old Is Sam Hartman?

Sam Hartman is 27 years old, born July 29, 1999. He will still be 27 when The Bachelor Season 30 premieres in March 2027.

What's Next

Season 30 of The Bachelor premieres Sunday, March 21, 2027 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, with episodes streaming the following day on Hulu. Hartman, who stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 209 pounds, will trade the gridiron for roses as he searches for love on television.