New 2017 RB on Texas Tech's radar
New Texas Tech running backs coach DeShaun Foster joined the program in early March and is currently taking stock of what the Red Raiders have at the running back position in spring practices.
On the recruiting trail, the updates have been few and far between, but Foster has reached out to most of the existing offers to 2017 running back prospects this month. In addition to those existing targets, a few other prospects have started to hear from the new Tech assistant recently.
Los Lunas (New Mexico) running back O'Maury Samuels is one of the newer targets for Coach Foster and the Red Raiders.
"Coach Foster and I have been in contact for a bit," Samuels said. "We are just building a relationship and we talk every day. He told me about his background at UCLA and in the NFL with Carolina. His experience is impressive and I'm interested to learn more about him as a coach. He also said they need some backs and that he wants to stay in touch moving forward."
Growing up in the region, Samuels has followed the Red Raiders and the Air-Raid offense over the years.
"They run the Air-Raid offense and we ran a very similar offense my freshman year," Samuels said. "My former coach, Duane Toliver, had us moving on offense that season. He actually played at Texas Tech back in the day, but he moved back to West Texas and took at head coaching job down there.
"For me personally, I don't think it matters what type of offense a team runs. I feel that I can run in any offense. Right now at Los Lunas, we are running the veer and the triple option. Our coaches are moving to some more scrum formations and I-formation sets for next season, so I will have experience in several different offenses by the time I get to college."
The 5-foot-10, 190-pound prospect made a name for himself at a Opening Regional camp in Dallas earlier this month. He tested off the charts, earning one of the best combine scores in the nation and earning an invite to The Opening.
Only days after the camp, Samuels picked up an offer from Michigan and the offers started rolling in from there. Arizona and TCU have since offered the standout prospect, and several other programs are beginning to show interest this spring.
"Recruiting is blowing up, it's hectic right now," Samuels said. "I'm just taking my time and building relationships with the coaches. Each coach is different, what they say about their school and what they tell me about their offense. It really all depends on my relationship with the coaches and their level of interest.
"I'm going to Ann Arbor for a visit to Michigan this weekend, then I'm planning trips to Arizona and TCU later this spring. I'm trying to fit one other visit in, but I'm still working on the plans right now."
Samuels actually has family in the Lubbock area and would like to visit the Texas Tech campus later this spring.
"I have an uncle that lives down there," Samuels said. "I'm supposed to go down there sometime soon and I'm going to take a visit to Tech when possible. Coach Foster and I talked about it, but I need to figure out the dates and get back with him to schedule everything."
Currently an unrated prospect, Samuels is receiving interest from coaches at Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Baylor, Cal, and USC this spring.