Hello: O'Maury Samuels (Updated)
Los Lunas (NM) running back O'Maury Samuels became the third commitment of a busy Spring Game weekend when he announced his pledge Sunday night. Michigan was the first major program to offer Samuels, whose stock rose quickly after an outstanding performance at the Dallas Opening regional in March. His visit sealed the deal:
“Man, it was fantastic,” Samuels told The Michigan Insider. “I loved the atmosphere. I loved the people around there. I loved the area. Their facilities were just great. I got to communicate with some of the players. They were nice. They told me how (things are) run things there at Michigan. I really like it out there. I got to talk to Coach Harbaugh and Coach Wheatley. We talked about how I could be their All-Purpose back for the 2017 class. They said they need one. “
“So I was like, hey, they need me. Why not?”“They’re going to have a scat back, and all-purpose back, and a power back.”
Samuels is Michigan's 11th commit in the 2017 class and the third at running back, joining four-star AJ Dillon and three-star Kurt Taylor.
GURU RATINGS
| Scout | Rivals | ESPN | 247 | 247 Comp |
| 4*, #23 RB | 4* RB | NR RB |
3*, 89, #25 RB, #338 Ovr |
4*, #21 RB, #293 Ovr |
While they didn't hand out the same star rating, Scout and 247 both have Samuels in the same range in the positional and overall rankings—based on position rankings, Samuels sits just outside the Scout 300. ESPN hasn't ranked him at all. Rivals threw out a cursory post-commitment four-star rating but hasn't given him a position ranking yet; only 16 RBs in the 2017 class are ranked as four-star prospects or better on Rivals.
Samuels is listed in the 5'10", 190-pound rangs by three of the four sites; 247 gives him an extra inch. He's not a big RB; he's still got plenty of size for the position.
[Hit THE JUMP for scouting, video, and more.]
SCOUTING
New Mexico isn't known for producing much in the way of football talent, so it comes as little surprise that Samuels was flying under the radar heading into this spring. In March, Samuels went to Dallas for a SPARQ combine and Opening regional camp as a relative unknown; it didn't take long for scouts to notice him:
When I arrived at The Opening Dallas regional, the Nike staff was buzzing about a standout at their rating day event one day earlier. "The running back from New Mexico" was the heavily discussed before he took a rep at the camp that was to follow. When he did start taking those reps, you didn't even need to have a roster to know who he was. By the end of the event, I knew his name: O'Maury Samuels. Now he's a Michigan commit and he's one of the biggest steals at this point in the 2016 cycle.
Samuels isn't necessarily a 'big back' in the typical sense of the term. He's 5-foot-10, 188 pounds but he is extremely impressive from a physical standpoint. The dude is jacked. Even at 190 pounds, he's going to pack a punch and be able to play powerfully behind his pads. What he brings to Michigan though is a home-run threat, especially when paired with A.J. Dillon.
Shortly after he left, he had his first major offer:
This guy was the talk of the camp. He posted the top SPARQ numbers of any prospect to test this camp series so far and because of his frame and build drew instant comparisons to Oklahoma star running back Samaje Perine. The showing has led to offers from UTSA and Michigan following the camp's conclusion. It was also great to watch his highlights post-event and see a prospect who can back up his testing with solid play on the field in the pads.
Samuels' SPARQ score remains the highest on record this year. As you'd expect, the individual components are all quite impressive:
Remarkably, Samuels told Scout he wasn't fully healthy when he competed in Dallas:
Two weeks before The Opening Dallas, Samuels wasn't even sure he'd be able to attend.
"I was nursing my hamstring, so I sat out track to get ready," said Samuels. "I wished I was healthier for The Opening and I think if I was, I could have ran a 4.3 (he clocked a 4.45). I would have ran it another time. But I was pretty happy with my results."
Samuels' breakout performance prompted scouts to go over his junior film; Scout's Greg Biggins really liked what he saw:
After watching Samuels' tape following the NIKE event, there is no doubt he's an elite prospect and should be mentioned among the top five running backs in the entire west region.
His size and speed combo are obvious but he's much more than that. He plays with a suddenness to him, is a decisive runner who can hit full stride in just a few steps and he's gone. He's a fluid athlete with no wasted motion, can make you miss in the open field and isn't stiff or robotic like you see with some players that are as muscle bound as Samuels.
He shows good hands out of the backfield and immediately gets up the field and doesn't try and dance around or be too cute in how he plays. He shows vision, patience and balance and projects at the next level as a player who can run between the tackles, bounce it outside and be used in the passing game.
Biggins dismissed concerns that Samuels is a product of his competition level; his physical tools and running style would impress no matter where he played.
247's Clint Brewster also had a glowing evaluation of Samuel's junior tape, calling him an "explosive running back with a huge upside and unlimited potential" before getting into specifics:
Once he’s out in space, Samuels can take it the distance with nice speed downfield. Samuels' lower-body strength allows him to run through arm tackles and behind his pads. It takes more than one defender to get him down. He flashes sudden, 1-cut ability on stretch plays. O’Maury’s untapped or raw potential is very special. He’s a great piece of clay to mold at the next level. He has the toughness to run inside the tackles at the next level and can get to the perimeter on the outside zone plays. Should provide a good change of pace with Michigan's other jumbo-sized backs. O'Maury is a major steal for the Michigan staff.
Samuels has decent size, tremendous athleticism, and good natural instincts as a runner. Tyrone Wheatley will have a lot to work with.
OFFERS
Samuels holds offers from Arizona, Cal, New Mexico, New Mexico State, TCU, and UT-San Antonio. Baylor, Notre Dame, USC, and Utah were among the programs showing serious interest recently, but none have come forth with an offer yet. Samuels almost certainly isn't done reeling in offers.
HIGH SCHOOL
Samuels is the only prospect from Los Lunas to even have an entry in the Rivals database. The Tigers went 6-5 in 2015, losing their opening game in the New Mexico 5A state playoffs. Only three players from the state have played for Michigan: Alan Branch, Zach Gentry, and William Morley, a quarterback on the 1895 squad.
STATS
According to MaxPreps, Samuels rushed for 1461 yards and 21 touchdowns on 185 carries (7.9 YPC) as a junior, adding 92 yards and two additional scores on eight receptions. He averaged 31 yards on six kickoff returns, one of which was a 90-yard touchdown.
Samuels was also quite productive as a sophomore, when he posted 1397 yards and 14 touchdowns on 187 carries (7.5 YPC), scored a 50-yard touchdown on one of his three receptions, and returned two kickoffs for 150 yards and another TD.
FAKE 40 TIME
Samuels has recorded electronic-timed, zero-FAKE 40s of 4.48 and 4.58 seconds this spring, apparently despite a wonky hamstring. In addition to his excellent 40 times, he posted a 44.5-inch vertical leap, which is, to use a technical term, flat-out bonkers.
VIDEO
Junior highlights:
Sophomore highlights and single-game reels can be found on his Hudl page.
PREDICTION BASED ON FLIMSY EVIDENCE
Samuels will get his chance to audition for a spot in the running back rotation as early as his freshman year, when the departures of De'Veon Smith and Drake Johnson will open up spots on the depth chart. He may have the best chance among the 2017 backs to see the field right away because of his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield, contribute on special teams, and bring a different running style than the others on the roster.
While it's probably safe to expect Ty Isaac to be the primary running back in 2017, the competition will be wide open the following year. Karan Higdon, Kingston Davis, Kareem Walker, and the three 2017 commits will be in a heated battle for snaps. Based on his film and measurables, I really like Samuels' chances of getting a healthy amount of playing time early in his career.
UPSHOT FOR THE REST OF THE CLASS
Michigan is most likely finished at running back barring in-class attrition, so they can turn their focus to other positions of need in the class, with outside receiver, tight end, offensive tackle, defensive tackle, outside linebacker, and safety chief among them.
After Samuels' commitment, Michigan's 2017 ranks fifth nationally and second in the Big Ten, behind only Ohio State. Here's the class as it currently stands:
that might get snake oiled away. Hopefully not because that guy has some serious wheels.
Feels like a dude!
This is not the RR or Hoke eras. Harbaugh is not going to be 'snake oiled' too often. No worries about O'Maury.
but Jim is not going to bat 1000 either. I don't know of anyone who has yet. I think, more often than not, is what you shoot for to be an upper echelon school and that is, obviously, how you build depth. Hell, thinking about those young men who were going to drop for us and others, chose Bama and some of the other schools and three years later, if still on the team, they're waiting their turn. That's a hell of a thing to do in this era.
The best players from New Mexico go to Michigan!
Since 1895!
I still can't believe that Rivals had Morley as a 2 star. I guess their New Mexico scouting wasn't much better in the 19th century than it is today.
I say, Scout was so half-rats in their frightful assessment of the baller's talent that it might have been authored by a chap with one and a peppermint drop.
they haven't updated their website either
IIRC there was a scathing editorial in the Santa Fe Daily New Mexican when Morley didn't win the starting job.
New Mexico did not become a state until 1912:
http://online.nmartmuseum.org/nmhistory/people-places-and-politics/stat…
So apparently Alan Branch is our only player from the state of New Mexico to see the field thus far.
Harbaugh clearly looked at that track record (1 for 1) and starting recruiting the state.
I think he's got two dudes in Gentry the Giant & Speedy O'Samuels.
New Mexico is the new Ohio.
Our class average ranking is the 3rd lowest in the top 10, OSU's is at 94 to our 88 and they have more commits, going to need to finish strong at the top if we want to compete with them on talent.
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I mean sure but guys at the top can move down too. How much does the top 25-30 really change over time? Most of those guys are elite and have really seperated themselves.
No reason to wait, let's call it now -- Michigan's 2017 recruiting class sucks, signaling the beginning of the end of the Harbaugh era.
(Is an "/s" really necessary? OK, just in case . . . )
Yeah, if memory serves I've had to call out ak47 as a bit of an idiot on more than one occasion - but he's being more than a bit of an idiot here.
ak, refer to Stanford's recruiting classes under JH. How did they compare to USC's? Oregon's? Stanford beat them both, sometimes crushingly. Let Jim do his work, watch the product on the field and not what Rivals says they're supposed to be.
I mean, do we need to say more about the recruiting services then that Samuels went from unrated to a 4* the day after AFTER he committed?! These guys don't have all the answers and they are not all-knowing....
Lol ok. Just pointing out that saying we are top 5 and behind OSU in the recruiting team rankings is over selling how the class is viewed right now since on a per recruit basis we are well behind. Didn't realize that was such a crazy idea to point out. You guys are unbeliviably fucking touchy about anything even remotely negative. Calling me an idiot for pointing out a fact? Ok seems reasonable. I didn't realize Harbaugh won a national championship with stanford, must have missed it. Our team got waxed on the field at home last year and it wasn't just the defense, we only scored 13 points and they had better athletes everywhere. In the future I would like us to have equivalent athletes on the field.
I don't want to get into a playoff and be MSU, where if both teams play their best game we lose. I want to be able to play bama straight up where if the teams played 10 games you can't say bama would win 7+ of them. That is the goal. This recruiting class can obviously still be great, just need the top targets to drop for us like they did at the end of last year.
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Agreed, I hope JH doesn't pull in another stinker class like he did this year. Oh, wait...
To be completely honest, I've got a gut feeling that Lasater kid is going to be the major diamond in the rough. WAY underrated.
Long way away bud. Keep your chin up! Not to mention half of our guys don't have full recruiting profiles yet. Could shoot up the board in the regard.
OSU is putting 5 guys in the first round, another 10 in rounds 2-4. We can't compete with then in recruiting this season, we CAN compete on the field.
As long as we are top 10 in the recruiting rankings then we will have a talented team, talented enough to win the B1G and get into the playoffs year-in, year-out.
Actually, what you are focusing on is competing with them in math. Talent is completely different, and nobody quite knows how good all these kids will be.
Never thought competing with tOSU in math would be so difficult
wow...so Im very scared that writers opinions on Michigans commits may not be as high as their OPINIONS on other program's commits.
Mark Smith of the Albuquerque Journal is not going to be happy that Michigan got the #1 player in New Mexico again:
http://www.abqjournal.com/728459/sports/smith-gentry-caught-in-bad-busi…
I don't give a hoot about what some schmuck sportswriter in Albuquerque thinks . . . .
I'm don't have great knowedge about recruiting, so could somebody answer this for me--are there certain positions that are easier to identify talent reliably at an earlier age? For example, the skill positions like QB, RB, and WR? If so, I could see how it'd be an advantage for Michigan to focus on locking down those skill positiosn earlier in the cycle (and of course playing defense to keep them from straying to other programs).
That way, later on in the cycle when they are focused on rounding out the class, their focus is on the later-developing players anyway (lineman showing more data points on film during early season senior year games for example).
I mean, I suppose there may be no rhyme or reason to it. But I certainly wouldn't want the reverse to be the case--taking fliers on Sophomore or Junior lineman, then at the end of the cycle trying to find your QB/RB/WRs who might have already been locked down by other programs by the fall of their senior years.
Bottomline question: Is there an order of operations in terms of positions that schools try to recruit first/second/third? Or is simply based on program need (i.e., we really need OTs this year so we should focus on those guys first)? Or simply talent ladder (start with the ideal and work your way down the list)?
There aren't really any players that I think you have to have early, but I do think there are common storylines that play out. For instance, most top flight schools grab their QB early, those guys tend to help sell the idea of a school to offensive skill position players. They are also generally mature and natural leaders so they can help your recruitment efforts directly. The other group that you want to pick up early are players from your area and from school that you have an established pipeline with. I think there is a much greater chance you hang on to those guys in the long run. So Michigan will consistently go after the Cass Tech, Paramus, Prattville, and Pembroke Pines kids early.
Quarterbacks generally seem to get the earliest offers. That's probably at least partly due to the fact that there's so much competition, since a quality quarterback can make your team (and the lack of one can break it).
Then you see a lot of skill players being offered - cornerbacks, wide receivers, running backs, etc. There are a lot of camps for skill players, measurements (40 times, cone drills, vertical jumps, etc.), 7-on-7 tournaments, etc. to show talent in those areas.
And yes, you do see a lot of linemen being offered late in the process. One reason is that some kids don't hit their growth spurts or become comfortable with their large bodies until later in their high school careers. Another reason linemen get late offers is that teams take so many offensive linemen that there's competition for the top players, and then teams' recruiting boards have to be expanded to fill teams' needs as the cycle winds down. Most teams probably take 3-5 linemen per class, so there's a lot more ebb and flow to that position, rather than QB where teams take 1 or maybe 2.
But to answer the question posed about which positions the ratings and camps, etc are most reliable for - I think another reason teams try to lock down top QBs early is they're so thoroughly coached and scouted they turn out to be pretty reliable. I think for skill positons the RBs are toughest because strength of opposition and quality of their OL are so uneven in HS that guys may look like natural home run hitters who are really just trucking inferior competition,
That certainly could turn out to be the case with O'Maury. His Sparq speaks for itself in terms of his athleticism, but will he find holes at the college level? Let's hope so - after all, Kevin Grady and Derrick Green were 5* recruits playing against much higher levels of HS comp, but coudn't find or hit a hole in college (talking football here, ya pervs)
and that's based on just our track record. Prior to these two, we had Fargas, consensus no. 1 and he actually had one decent season(@ USC & a few in the pros), after a season's rest and much needed weight gain.That young man need a RS.
Now the two power runners Grady and Green might not be making your case for you though. Green had weight issues throughout his h.s. career and was a short, over weight h.s. freshmen and I believe became a RB later. He showed up on campus 20 lbs overweight and I can't really agree that he couldn't find a hole, but I will say I never saw a back, especially a "Power Back" go down merely with the changing of the wind. He described himself perfectly as a "Down Hill" back. I never mean to belittle a young man in any way but his body did not appear that of a D1 power back.
Grady was another one, and there was no doubt to his power in high school. He was an absolute bitch to bring down and I imagine much like Green, speculation was the power is going to continue to be added at a pace that had always given him an edge through his high school career. Some time expected gains based on body types don't happen. Have no idea about Green's h.s. competition, but I saw Kevin often and EGR always - has dropped off recently I believe - was a powerhouse, fielding a well coached team and in his case, it appeared the rating might have been justified. I do recall after being pretty much shut down in the first half in the state finals he carried the team the second half and proved if he failed it would not be through lack of determination. I think Kevin is the better example here for you, and I would have been upset with the staff had they not pushed for him. However, in the case of both, one greatly out of shape(and I don't really think cut out to be a P5 back) and the other coming in as a 5* power back might not have been the most powerful back on his team.
They both obviously worked hard, making gains in the weight room, but when you're rating is based off a certain skill set that may have well maxed out by college, the writing is pretty much on the wall. If you look at those two and Fournette and Henry and realize all four were power backs w/ good speed - in Fournette's case, excellent - the differences are clear. The later two had what they need when they entered college and have been perfecting it. The former duo came in needing things to materialize - and all recruiting is done on a degree of speculation - and it didn't happen.
In Samuel's case, as a coach, it would not have mattered to me what put him on the map. But being the only RB to be invited to the Opening out of that group and putting up those numbers would have drawn my attention. And then seeing the tape, already knowing his speed what more did you need to see? Remember as poor as his competition was, so too were those that were blocking for him. He saw and made the cuts at the proper time, when he hit the second level, made proper cut against grain or to the area that gained separation the fastest. And whereas the other two in your example would not benefit from the complementary players he will play with at UM, he will. If you revisit that tape, I bet you won't notice a lot of his team mates blocking for him down field. The receivers at UM have always blocked, he will receive excellent coaching and this is the type of back that UM has always looked for when they relied on the power game. Quick, decisive, fast. I like what I see. I think a lot of other schools will as well.
I'm not sure any time other than the 4.58 is accurate. I think there my be some typos out there. For instance the link to the 4.48 has the exact same testing numbers for the other fields as the graphic with the 138.3 overall score. It's not hard to imagine 4.58 becoming 4.48 with the slip of a key. Same thing with the 4.45 I've seen listed several places, that possibly could just have been his vertical jump entered in the wrong slot. I think he's plenty fast, but I think there is some misinformation going on with his electronic 40 time.
Yeah, I haven't seen anywhere that lists a 4.45 from any source that's semi-official.
I'd never heard anyone vying for a better evaluation blame their time on a bad hamstring. 
Every single commit we have, simply means we lead for them right now. We have to recruit them all until the end/they sign.
Yes, agree but some you worry about more than others. I don't see players like Dunaway, McCaffery and others being much of a flight risk. Sure, anything can happen but those would be a shock. I think the point is that Samuels may not be in that "totally safe" category especially with two other RBs committed.
could be a flight risk. In this case we have a nice advantage, not having to worry about his in-state schools. We also don't have to worry about the schools of his former or current teammates.
Not sure why he's a perfect fit for UCLA or Baylor in particular. What offense doesn't have a big role for an explosive home run threat with decent size?
Those are spread systems designed for easy one cut reads that get the running back in space. Those offenses also design many short throws to the back. I'm not saying he can't have success in our system, he looks like a great addition, but I think he skill set if perfect for those types of offenses.
Listen - I love this recruit, hope he ends up in the class, and becomes the star he looks like he could be.
But honestly, the only talent evaluation being done in this offer is by Nike - he's like a guy who goes to the combine, blows up, and ends up getting drafted 2-3 rounds higher than he had been pegged. This offer is based TOTALLY on his Sparq and camp performance. No one knew he was rumbling across the gridirons of New Mexico making kids look foolish before that.
All that being said - he looks great, is thrilled to play for Michigan, clearly is not afraid of hard work. As JH said at the signing day show - "Those who stay and work hard will be Champions!"
Welcome and Go Blue!
Watch his tape. If you know anything about football, you will see a patient, decisive, one-cut player with excellent feet and wiggle, incredible BURST and SPEED.
Any coach who knows football can see this.
All the SPARQ score did was get people to watch his tape and take notice. Kid is the real deal.
Kid looks great. My guess is that his recruiting picks up a bit, but an early commitment is great even if we'll be sweating it out a bit later in the year.
But I like what I see so far. For me, Samuals is this years Brandon Peters: guy who is nearly beyond hyperbole. I like everything about him.
MGOBOARD: Which running back does he remind you of? I have been trying to place it and I can't. I remember thinking the same thing about Jeff Demps.
Reminds me of Keith Marshall. He may not have quite the elite speed of Marshall but he powers through tackles better at this stage than Marshall did.
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