Commit #25
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| Image via here |
Meet Dan Samuelson
Scout: 4-star, #25 OL
ESPN: 3-star, #87 OL
247Sports: 3-star, #17 OL
Rivals: 3-star, #31 OL
MGoHello
Hearing this news yesterday came as a surprise; not because of the commitment, but because of who committed. A couple OL were on officials over the weekend in Samuelson and Cameron Hunt, who were accompanied by current commit Patick Kugler. Samuelson had stated last week that a decision would be made on Monday between Nebraska and Michigan. So hearing this news (Thanks Brad), I could've sworn it would've been Hunt who pulled the trigger. Anyways, I was wrong and Samuelson pledged a few days early, and he will be welcomed with open arms either way.
At a glance, Samuelson is a 3-star recruit save Scout's 4-star ranking. 247Sports ranks him the highest at his position out of all the sites at #17; interesting because they have him as a 3-star which doesn't really make much sense, but that's recruiting for ya. All sites agree on his 6'5" stature while his weight fluctuates from 275-295 depending on where you look. So I guess we'll split the difference and go with 285.
Not much (free) analysis is out there about Samuelson's game, but Clint Brewster did shine a little bit of light regarding his playing style and strengths:
"Samuelson has a great frame at 6-foot-5, 290-pounds and doesn’t look to carry a lot of extra weight, allowing him to move well on pulls and screens. Samuelson does a nice job firing off the football and striking his opponent first when run blocking. He is able to turn opposing defensive lineman, showing good overall strength, particularly in his upper body. Samuelson shows proper hand placement and a good initial punch. He does an excellent job of staying engaged with defensive lineman once he has them, and finishes blocks off. As he shows in his highlight film, Samuelson has the ability to drive defenders into the ground and completely eliminate them from the play. Samuelson’s strengths correlate well to the run game and he should be a good fit at the guard position, as Michigan looks to move towards a heavier run game in the future."I agree with the final statement Brewster makes above about him being a guard in the future. Depending on how much weight he puts on, which could be none if the coaches want him playing guard, he will fit much better on the interior line at his current frame. Here's a little reaction from Samuelson himself:
I do what's best for myself and my family, and that is why I committed to Michigan. Nothing against Nebraska and staff. Upmost respect.
— Dan Samuelson (@dansamuelson74) January 12, 2013
Other Offers
Held offers from Nebraska, Illinois, Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Wake Forest, Bowling Green, Miami (OH), WMU, and Wyoming.
Hype Video
Couldn't find an embedable (did I just make a new word?) video, but did find his senior season highlight on Hudl.com.
Something Scary to Think About
Samuelson joins a group of 6 OL(!!!) commits in the 2013 class, 1 5-star (Kugler) and four 4-stars (Dawson, Bosch, Fox, Tuley-Tillman) and the staff has stated that taking seven OL is a possibility. If Michigan can add Cameron Hunt, this O-line (w/or w/o Hunt) has potential to be one of the nastiest in the county once they all hit the field in a few years. I just hope Derrick Green is taking notice! How could you not want to run behind this wall that Hoke and co. have assembled?!
