2015 Season Countdown: #79 Dan Samuelson

Dan Samuelson (image via AnnArbor.com)

Name: Dan Samuelson
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 289 lbs.
High school: Plymouth (IN) Plymouth
Position: Offensive guard
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #74
Last year: I ranked Samuelson #77 and said he would be a backup offensive guard. He did not see any game action.

Samuelson was 282 lbs. last season and did not work his way into the rotation. Michigan also didn't have many chances to play the backups, anyway. In practices and such, he has consistently been essentially the last lineman into the rotation. Whether it's a function of size, talent, or the combination of the two, significant playing time does not appear to be looming.

Michigan has several returning starters on the offensive line this year, and there are some backups that seem to be far ahead of Samuelson. He has seen some reps at tackle, too, but either way he is only likely to see the field in blowout situations or if there are several injuries.

Prediction: Backup offensive guard

2014 Season Countdown: #77 Dan Samuelson

Dan Samuelson (image via Scout)

Name: Dan Samuelson
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 282 lbs.
High school: Plymouth (IN) Plymouth
Position: Offensive guard
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #74
Last year: I ranked Samuelson #92 and said he would redshirt. He redshirted.

It's not very often that freshman linemen play, so Samuelson's redshirt last year should not have surprised anyone. After his freshman year, however, he is still listed at just 282 lbs. Aside from the fact that Michigan has a fair number of players with experience, offensive guards in the Big Ten have to weigh more than 282 lbs. Samuelson looked thin in the spring game, and he also needs to continue working on pass protection. He was a third-stringer in April, and I see no reason why he would rise any higher by fall. Two of his classmates have inched ahead of him (Kyle Bosch and David Dawson), so it may be a few years before Samuelson gets a real shot.

Prediction: Backup offensive guard

2013 Season Countdown: #92 Dan Samuelson

Dan Samuelson (#74)

Name: Dan Samuelson
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 290 lbs.
High school: Plymouth (IN) Plymouth
Position: Offensive guard
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Samuelson was a senior in high school. I gave him a TTB Rating of 59.

Samuelson was once committed to Pitt. Then Nebraska. Then Michigan. If his measurements were accurate coming out of high school, he has the size to be an early impact player. However, he lacks experience in a pro-style blocking system and some refinement when it comes to both run and pass blocking. As you might have discovered via my TTB Ratings, I think Samuelson is the least talented of Michigan's six incoming freshman linemen, but he does have some potential. Since freshman linemen usually redshirt, I think it's very likely that he stays on the sideline this year.

Prediction: Redshirt

Poll results: Who will be the best offensive lineman in the 2013 class?

Wexford (PA) North Allegheny center Patrick Kugler

Patrick Kugler: 63%
The freshman from Wexford (PA) North Allegheny played in the Under Armour All-American Game.  According to the 247 Composite rankings, he's a 4-star, the #68 player nationally, and the country's top center.  He will enroll at Michigan in June and potentially be a backup to whoever wins the starting center job this spring.  His father is a former professional offensive line coach who is now UTEP's head football coach.

Kyle Bosch: 19%
Bosch is a 6'5", 307 lb. player who enrolled in January.  He attended Wheaton (IL) St. Francis and was 247 Composite's #3 offensive guard and #87 overall prospect.  In spring practice videos, he has appeared to be running with the second team at offensive guard.  He may factor into the playing rotation in the fall.

David Dawson: 12%
The Detroit (MI) Cass Tech prospect stands 6'4" and 280 lbs.  He's the 247 Composite's #4 offensive guard - one spot below Bosch - and their #95 player overall.  Dawson also played in the Under Armour All-American Game.

Chris Fox and Logan Tuley-Tillman: 1% (tie)
Fox comes from Parker (CO) Ponderosa, while Tuley-Tillman hails from Peoria (IL) Manual; they were selected for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and the Under Armour game, respectively, although Fox was unable to participate due to a knee injury.  Fox stands 6'6" and 300 lbs. and was recruited to play tackle, while Tuley-Tillman enrolled in January and has been practicing at left offensive tackle, standing 6'7" and 285 lbs.  Fox was 247 Composite's #5 offensive guard and #111 overall player, and Tuley-Tillman was the #12 offensive tackle and #167 player overall.

Dan Samuelson: 0%
Plymouth (IN) Plymouth offensive guard Samuelson stands 6'5" and 290 lbs.  According to the 247 Composite rankings, he's the #21 offensive guard and #414 overall player in the nation.

Recruiting Update: January 14, 2013

Richmond (VA) Hermitage running back Derrick Green

COMMITMENT
Plymouth (IN) Plymouth offensive guard Dan Samuelson committed to Michigan.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2014
Tyrone (GA) Sandy Creek wide receiver Demarre Kitt was offered by Michigan.  He's a 6'1", 195 lb. receiver who claims a 4.59 forty.  He also has offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Georgia, Ohio State, and USC, among others.  As a junior in 2012, he had 74 receptions for 1,235 yards and 11 touchdowns.  He has pronounced Clemson and Ohio State to be his leaders.

OFF THE BOARD
Wyomissing (PA) Wyomissing Area linebacker Alex Anzalone changed his commitment from Notre Dame to Florida.  Anzalone used to be thought to be headed to Florida, but seemed satisfied with his Notre Dame commitment . . . until Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly started flirting with the Philadelphia Eagles.  As soon as that happened, Anzalone booked it for the sunshine.  In case you don't remember, Anzalone was a guy who wanted to visit Michigan before the Wolverines filled up at the position and told him, "You can come to campus, but you don't have a spot unless something changes."

Detroit (MI) Cass Tech cornerback Damon Webb committed to Ohio State.  Michigan was one of his first offers, but Webb's eye wandered to the Buckeyes and LSU early in his recruitment.  There seemed to be some trepidation about him continuing the Cass Tech pipeline to Michigan, and that doubt appears to have been warranted.

MISCELLANEOUS
Richmond (VA) Hermitage running back Derrick Green set his announcement for January 26th at 4:00 p.m.

A handful of recruits made official visits to Michigan this past weekend.

ESPN finalized its 2013 recruiting rankings.

Scout finalized its 2013 recruiting rankings.

Dan Samuelson, Wolverine

Plymouth (IN) Plymouth offensive guard Dan Samuelson
(image via Scout)

Plymouth (IN) Plymouth offensive guard Dan Samuelson committed to Michigan on Saturday.  He chose the Wolverines over offers from Illinois and Minnesota, along with originally committing to Pitt and most recently being committed to Nebraska.

Samuelson stands 6'5" and 290 lbs.  He claims a 5.3 forty, a 315 lb. bench, and a 405 lb. squat

Ratings:
ESPN: 3-star OT, 75 grade, #87 OT
Rivals: 3-star OG, #31 OG
Scout: 4-star OT, #25 OT
247 Sports: 3-star OG, 89 grade, #13 OG

Samuelson is a big body who looks like he could play center or right guard at the next level.  He shows a decent ability to drive block, and he likes to knock people around.  He flashes the ability to fire off the ball low and root out linemen.  It's tough to get a great feel for his all-around game because he plays for a heavily run-oriented team.

It will take some adjusting for Samuelson to play at the next level.  He plays a little high, especially when moving to the second level, and he lacks some ability to move laterally.  He also needs to become more tenacious and stay on his blocks.  Right now he's a guy who blocks using mainly his upper body, and he fails to keep his feet after impact.  His coaches appear to teach shoulder blocking, which is common in an option offense, but he will likely have to learn hand placement to succeed in college.  There are very few available clips of his pass sets, but from what I saw, he needs to work on remaining balanced and keeping active feet throughout the play.

Overall, Samuelson has some ability, but he appears to be significantly behind the other linemen in the class.  Almost all young linemen need to add weight and strength, but he lags behind in overall athleticism and might be the least technically developed of the linemen outside of Logan Tuley-Tillman.  He looks like a depth player more than a front-line prospect.  With Kyle Kalis a year ahead of him and both Kyle Bosch and David Dawson penciled in at guard in the current class, Samuelson might never glimpse the field except in a backup role.

This is the 25th commitment in the class of 2013 and the sixth offensive lineman.  The talk is that Michigan could take up to 28 players in the class, and perhaps seven offensive linemen.  Corona (CA) Centennial offensive guard Cameron Hunt, who is "committed" to Cal, also took an official visit to Michigan this weekend.

Here are Samuelson's highlights on Hudl.

TTB Rating: 65