I'm not ashamed to say it: There were times — early in the season, in my defense — that I pondered if Curtis Samuel was the best running back on the team. (Ezekiel Elliott would later run that notion down my throat.)
That is, however, no slight to Curtis Samuel, who, while used sparingly, flashed his talent almost every time he touched the ball in 2014.
But Ezekiel Elliott, the 2015 Heisman frontrunner (emphasis on runner), is poised to be Ohio State's backfield warhorse in 2015, which is forcing the coaching staff to get created with the talented Samuel.
Early observations from Ohio State practice today: Curtis Samuel was working with WR, JT Barrett was moving decently during drills.
— Eric Seger (@EricSeger33) March 26, 2015
While it's too early to tell if this is a permanent switch or just giving Samuel something else to work on, new alpha offensive coordinator, Ed Warinner, added today that they're searching for new ways to get Samuel the ball:
Heres Ohio State offensive coordinator Ed Warinner on Curtis Samuel taking reps with the wide receivers today: pic.twitter.com/7IdivlU7x8
— Tim Shoemaker (@TimShoemaker) March 26, 2015
Samuel is talented enough to succeed anywhere the coaches put him, and finding creative ways to get him the ball is the kind of thing that separates elite coaches from the one who don't work for Ohio State.
Samuel finished the 2014 campaign with 58 totes for 383 yards and 6 touchdowns. He added 11 receptions (on 15 targets, so he has solid hands) for 95 yards.
