Farrell Freshman 15: Nos. 7-9
Mark Pszonak contributed to this report.
The midseason Farrell Freshman 15 continues today with a look at Nos. 7-9, with three impactful former four-stars.
FRESHMAN 15: Nos. 10-12 | 13-15
FARRELL 50: Nos. 1-5 | 6-10 | 11-15 | 16-20 | 21-25 | 26-30 | 31-35 | 36-40 | 41-45 | 46-50
The skinny: Daniels took his time with his process, especially as a top-rated quarterback, with official visits to Arizona State, California, UCLA and Utah before giving a commitment to the Sun Devils in mid-December.
Earning the starting job as a true freshman, Daniels has been both productive and efficient for Arizona State this fall. Having already totaled 1,610 yards, eight touchdowns and only one interception through the air, while adding 198 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, he has the surprising Sun Devils poised for a big finish to their season.
Farrell’s take: I loved Daniels out of high school as a skinny dual-threat with good mechanics and accuracy and he was especially impressive to me at the Under Armour week. We had him ranked as a Rivals100 prospect and he’s already showing he could have five-star potential. He’s simply been awesome.
The skinny: Hamilton took spring official visits to Georgia and Michigan, but two previous trips to South Bend were enough for him to commit to the Irish in late April.
Hamilton has impressed this fall, both in coverage and with his big playmaking ability. Already with 21 tackles, two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown, and two pass breakups, he looks likely to be a big part of the Irish defense for the next couple of seasons.
Farrell’s take: Hamilton was a kid I really liked out of high school, better than most, and he ended up as a Rivals100 prospect after starting off as a three-star. He was a big, rangy safety who closed on the ball well and had excellent ball skills and he’s been all over the field for Notre Dame early.
The skinny: An early commit to Kentucky, Robinson flipped his pledge to Nebraska in December of his senior season. While he was committed to the Wildcats, the Huskers continued to put on the pressure. Their hard work finally paid off with Robinson’s flip.
While the Huskers have had some offensive inconsistencies this fall, Robinson has given the offense and special teams a much-needed spark with 214 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, 336 yards and two touchdowns through the air, plus a consistent threat on kickoff returns.
Farrell’s take: Robinson was a highly ranked athlete coming out of high school who could have played offense or defense and certainly impact in the return game. He’s at his best with the ball in his hands and has shown that this season. We compared him to a smaller Rondale Moore and while he’s not having that national impact, he’s been excellent for the Huskers.