The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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commitment profile puts on pads, he's really physical and he can pull. We've been a running team primarily, and that's why we put him at guard. We put our best kids at guard, and we ran behind Dan a lot. I don't think Coach Funk is pigeonholing him in to guard — he can be an edge player, too." Samuelson became the sixth offensive lineman in Michigan's 2013 class when he pulled the trigger for the Wolverines, and the least heralded (he's the only one that Rivals. com does not rank as a top-250 player nationally). However, his fit in the Michigan system is undeniable, and his work ethic should allow him to see plenty of the field before he graduates from Michigan. If Samuelson works as hard as he expects, he could even make it onto the Michigan Stadium turf very early in his career as a Wolverine. "I love Coach [Brady] Hoke's philosophy — he doesn't care what grade you're in or how many years you've been there, he's going to play the best players," Barron said. "They'll make that decision based on how quickly he can pick things up. It's a big step to play at the University of Michigan." Though it may not happen, Samuelson's dream scenario would be to play in one particular game this fall. "I'm pretty excited for the Michigan-Notre Dame game," the lineman admitted. "That should be pretty cool. I remember watching that game a couple years ago. It's pretty crazy that next year I could be playing in it." ❑ Film Evaluation Strengths: Samuelson is a true mauler, with the power to bury defensive linemen on run plays. He also plays with a mean streak, finishing blocks to (and through) the whistle. He can provide plenty of push up front with a body that is nearly college-sized already. He also has surprisingly good feet for a high schooler of his size. He can pull across the formation in power schemes and does a better job than most high school linemen of sealing downfield defenders. Areas of Improvement: Since Plymouth runs on nearly every down, Samuelson is almost completely unproven in pass protection. That's no easy task to develop proficiency in, and there will be a learning curve. The competition in Northern Indiana isn't strong either — Samuelson's highlight shows him blocking mostly players who aren't within 50 pounds of his weight — and he'll have to prove he can continue dominating against much better competition. Michigan Player Comparison: Mark Huyge was an unheralded recruit in 2007, but went on to be a multi-year contributor for Michigan (2007-11). Though he was never a star, he was a solid, versatile piece of the offensive line puzzle. — Analysis from TheWolverine.com