Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1508769
44 OCT. 7, 2023 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY MIKE SINGER On May 2, Bryant (Ark.) High class of 2025 running back Daniel Anderson received an invitation to attend Notre Dame's Irish Invasion Camp that would take place a month later. Anderson didn't pick up his first scholarship offer until May 9, coming from Long Island, an FCS program. Fast forward to Sept. 23, and he's on Notre Dame's commitment list. An- derson's jump from a mostly unknown prospect to pledging to play for a storied program like Notre Dame is one that came together quickly. "It's very crazy," Anderson said. "I've been thinking about that." Anderson, who is the No. 5 player from Arkansas and the nation's No. 40 running back according to On3's 2025 rankings, dazzled the Notre Dame staff at their camp in June. And after the 5-11, 190-pounder returned to South Bend at the end of July for a second visit, it became apparent that he was leaning toward the Irish. A few days before arriving in South Bend to watch the Irish's showdown with Ohio State, Anderson gave the Notre Dame staff a not-so-subtle hint that he would be committing to them that weekend. "I asked Coach [Marcus] Freeman for his blessing to commit," Anderson said. "That was Wednesday or Thursday [of Ohio State game week]." Anderson had the "official" conver- sation with Freeman about his com- mitment a few hours before kickoff, and immediately after the chat took place, director of recruiting Chad Bowden shouted to everyone else in the room, "We've got a commit, everybody!" A handful of Notre Dame commits were around for this, and they all came up to congratulate Anderson on his de- cision. "That was very cool," Anderson said. "I felt so welcomed. I had no clue any of that was going to happen." Anderson's recruiting pro- cess picked up after Notre Dame offered him. Arkansas State, Colorado, Mississippi State and Tennessee also ex- tended scholarship offers, but Anderson's heart was set on Notre Dame. "A big thing for me is that it's just not about football," he said. "Coach Freeman speaks a lot about life after football. Life will keep moving after you play football. That's really big for me. The degree you get from that school will help pro- vide for your future and what I need to do after football ends. "I'm excited to play in that stadium. The academics and the way Coach Freeman is — there's no doubt that Notre Dame is the best future for me." D u r i n g h i s s o p h o m o re season, Anderson totaled 74 carries for 856 yards and 11 touchdowns in Bryant's un- defeated, state-title-winning campaign. Notre Dame now has two running back commitments in the 2025 cycle. The other is Tampa (Fla.) Jesuit's Justin Thurman, On3's No. 46 player in Florida and No. 27 running back nationally. Notre Dame has not had a player on its roster from Arkansas since 2018, when offensive lineman Luke Jones from Little Rock (Ark.) Pulaski Acad- emy spent a season with the Irish before transferring back to his home state and playing for the Razorbacks. ✦ Irish Land Another Running Back From SEC Country COMMITMENT PROFILE DANIEL ANDERSON Anderson, who is the No. 5 prospect in Arkansas and the nation's No. 40 running back according to On3, committed to Notre Dame over Colorado, Mississippi State and Tennessee. PHOTO BY KYLE KELLY FILM ANALYSIS "When we talk about Daniel Anderson, you have to start with the body type. He's 5-11 and nearly 200 pounds, and he looks awesome. The frame is phenomenal. He can add more weight and carry it — no issues. He'll probably be at 215 or 220 pounds by the time he graduates high school. He's a really good-looking kid. "His play style is all about footwork. His ability to stop/start and change direction all starts with his feet. From a top-end speed perspective, he struggles a little bit, but he is a dynamite 'doubles' runner. And by that, I mean that he may not be a consistent home run hitter, but he'll constantly churn out yardage for big gains. He won't hit a bunch of 60-yard bombs. "At the running back position, you ask for consistency between the tackles and make guys in the open field miss, and he's able to do that. He has a relatively high ceiling due to his explosiveness and ability to change direction. Is he going to be a monster, home run guy? No. But can you rely on him to churn out hard-earned yards? Absolutely." — On3 scouting and rankings assistant Cody Bellaire "A big thing for me is that it's just not about football. Coach Freeman speaks a lot about life after football. … The degree you get from that school will help provide for your future and what I need to do after football ends." ANDERSON