Small Town Hughson’s Elite 11 QB

Hughson’s Robert McDaniel got a last-minute invite to the Elite 11 and made the most of his opportunity. Hughson has a big game on Friday. Photo: John Westerberg / The Modesto Bee.

Robert McDaniel’s senior season at Hughson High has benefitted from all he learned last summer at the Elite 11 Quarterback Camp. He’s hoping to help lead the Huskies to another CIF Sac-Joaquin Section title and perhaps a CIF state title before he embarks on his college career at the University of Arizona. He and unbeaten team have a huge game Friday vs unbeaten Sonora.

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By Ron Agostini

The best quarterback in the 117-year history of Hughson High School was told to put his summer workout on hold. Someone from “Elite 11” was trying to reach him.

Robert McDaniel stopped in his tracks. He knew what “Elite 11” meant. He thought his tryout in Las Vegas for Elite 11, merely the nation’s most prestigious three-day camp for prep quarterbacks, had gone for naught. But there was an injury, he was told, and could he make it to Los Angeles?

“Be here tomorrow,” the Elite 11 rep said. “There’s a 32-page playbook waiting for you.”

One day, he was practicing with his Hughson teammates. The next, he was being mentored by quarterbacks Cade Klubnik (Clemson) and Dillon Gabriel (Oregon) and gathering insights from Pete Carroll (a longtime friend of Elite 11 founder Andy Bark).

“I was picking their brains on everything,” McDaniel said. “It was an amazing experience. I really learned how to be a better teammate…and reaching a happy medium between being a good teammate and not being the guy no one wants to be around.”

McDaniel, the small-town kid who made good, had reached the big time.

***
Hughson, not far from the geographic center of California, is a rural community of about 7,500 in Stanislaus County, a short car drive from Modesto. The school is surrounded by residential neighborhoods, vineyards, small-property fields and large agribusiness empires. After all, the San Joaquin Valley is not called the Breadbasket of the World by accident.

Here, one-school town football reigns as king. The Friday Night Lights shine bright in this corner of the world, and the Trans-Valley League – Hughson’s affiliate – is arguably California’s toughest small-schools league. Over the last 15 years, five TVL schools have won CIF state championships.

Robert McDaniel is headed to Arizona. Photo: Hudl.com.

McDaniel, not unlike his friends, tossed the ball around his backyard during his childhood. His parents held him out of tackle football until eighth grade, when he became a quarterback.

And look at him now.

Since he was promoted to the varsity by coach Shaun King for the final two games of his freshman year, McDaniel has rewritten the record book. The numbers midway through his senior year glow like The Strip on New Years Eve: 6,107 passing yards and 78 touchdowns against only 15 interceptions.

Hughson has enjoyed its share of success over the years, but the McDaniel Era laps all previous runs. With him taking the snaps, the Huskies have captured two Sac-Joaquin Section titles and – when he was sophomore – the CIF 5-AA state title. Last year, Hughson reached the Northern California final.

McDaniel, a sturdy 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds, possesses the kind of talent that has made him a commit to Arizona. He spins the ball with authority both in the pocket and rolling out.

“He goes through his progressions like you don’t often see at the high school level,” King praised. “I watched him mature into a man. Back when he was a freshman, he was like the team’s little brother. I looked down at him. Now I look up at him.”

It was not by coincidence that Arizona coach Brent Brennan paid a visit during Hughson’s game recently against Ripon. McDaniel has taken summer school classes online so he can graduate early and be in Tucson next spring (he’ll still walk with his class in May).

McDaniel is the first Power 5 QB recruit from the TVL since Hilmar’s Nate Costa (Oregon) two decades ago. The Hughson star at first committed to Cal until college football leadership rotated like a huge out-of-control wheel.

The retirement of Alabama icon Nick Saban sparked the change. From that point, Kalen DeBoer switched from Washington to Alabama, Jedd Fisch relocated from Arizona to Washington and Brennan left San Jose State for the U of A. Staff coaches also were affected.

Through the entire process, McDaniel developed relationships with Brennan and his offensive coordinator Dino Babers, who arrived from Syracuse. The senior, though he liked Cal, reconsidered in June.

Still, coaches from Washington State, Oregon State, Fresno State, Cal and others motored to Hughson last summer for white-board sessions with King and McDaniel. Why? Just in case McDaniel rethought his destination.

“It is a business,” King said. “We were doing X’s and O’s. It was amazing for me and for Robert.”

***

McDaniel, not surprisingly, is virtually a finished high school product. Halfway through his final season, he’s tossed 16 touchdown passes and only one interception.

His primary targets are first rate: Max Mankins, an Air Force commit; Malakai Sumter, a senior from nearby Waterford who enrolled at Hughson as a freshman; and junior Bryce McDaniel, Robert’s younger brother.

Sumter, the team’s fastest player, continues to be a high-impact receiver. Hughson trailed Ripon Christian 21-14 midway through the fourth quarter when McDaniel – on a 4th-and-13 —connected with Sumter for a 43-yard tying touchdown. Then, with 6 seconds to go, McDaniel found McDaniel for the dramatic 23-yard game-winner.

Two years ago, McDaniel and Sumter made their first impression on Ripon Christian. Their completion, on a 4th-and-19, sustained a drive that produced the win and a berth in the state finals (Hughson defeated Muir 9-6 for the championship).

“He (McDaniel) can fit the ball catchable for me and not catchable for the defense,” Sumter said.

Throwing to his brother, however, has brought special meaning for Robert. They both hoped it would be this way – Robert throwing it and Bryce catching it.

“Being able to know exactly where he is during each of his route is so good,” Robert said. “We just kind of know what the other is going to do.”

Just last week, Sumter caught a 42-yard TD pass from McDaniel with 2:42 left in the game to give the Huskies a 21-17 win over Escalon, which has been the perennial powerhouse in the TVL. McDaniel also had 190 yards passing in the game. In this week’s game on Friday, the 6-0 Huskies are taking on 6-0 Sonora. In the most recent Cal-Hi Sports small school rankings, Sonora was No. 3 and Hughson No. 5.

***

McDaniel sometimes has felt overwhelmed over the crush of collegiate coaches and media as his cell phone buzzes like bees pollinating almond trees. It is during these times that he seeks grounding, and he finds it in the community around him.

“Ever since this started, I realized we’re still playing these games in front of my family, relatives and friends on Friday night,” he said. “It’s kept me level-headed.”

But still “elite.”

Editor’s Note: Ron Agostini had a long career as a columnist on all levels of sports at the Modesto Bee and frequently wrote about and covered high school sports. He still writes regularly in retirement for the FrontRowPreps.com website. On Oct. 20, Ron will be inducted into the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Hall of Fame in the media category. He was recently the grand marshal of the East Union High (Manteca) homecoming parade.