Seemingly every time Urban Meyer gets asked about Curtis Samuel, the fourth-year head coach at Ohio State has a big smile instantly flash across his face and his eyes light up. Meyer certainly doesn't hide how he feels about the Buckeyes' talented offensive weapon.
"Zeke [Elliott] is the starting tailback, but Curtis Samuel has earned the right to get on the field," Meyer said at Big Ten Media Days.
How much and where, however, remain the questions.
Last year as a true freshman, Samuel made waves from the day he arrived in Columbus. Meyer said the 5-foot-11, 200-pounder from Brooklyn "stole my heart" with the way he performed from the get-go.
Samuel got on the field quite a bit, too, during his freshman season. As the primary backup tailback, he carried the ball 58 times for 383 yards and six touchdowns. Samuel also had 11 catches out of the backfield for 95 yards.
He made one start at running back, against Illinois, but was Elliott's backup throughout most of his freshman season. And, with Elliott's explosion during Ohio State's three-game run to the national title last season, Samuel was moved to the H-back spot during spring ball.
With the emergence of Bri'onte Dunn at running back and true freshman Mike Weber figuring to get into the mix, Samuel's move makes sense. He's a high-impact player for Ohio State and he needs to be on the field for as many plays as possible.
It's a crowded position, with Jalin Marshall, Dontre Wilson and now Braxton Miller also vying for time, but Samuel figures to be a key part of it all.
"Well before this even took place, the H-back issue, Curtis was gonna play, Braxton is gonna play and Noah Brown is gonna play — potentially all three starting," Meyer said. "That shows you a little bit how much I think of those three guys so Curtis, he’s still in the learning phase of that position.”
When Ohio State reported to its team hotel Sunday evening for fall camp, Samuel donned a red shirt which said 'Future Is Here' is bold black letters.
It was almost fitting in a way, because Samuel figured to be a big part of the Buckeyes' future when he arrived on campus last year. But now, as a sophomore, the plan is for the ultra-talented Samuel to be a big contributor for a team trying to repeat as national champion.
The future is here.
