Spotlight: Offensive lineman Dan Samuelson
School: Plymouth, Indiana
Ranking: Rivals 5.6 3-star

Physically : Dan Samuelson has a big, square frame standing at 6-foot-5, 275-pounds. Given his size and skill set, he would be a great fit anywhere along in the interior line in my opinion.

Abilities : Samuelson really jumps off the screen when you're watching his film. It doesn't take long to watch in order to get a feel for what kind of player he is physically and mentally.

First of all, Samuelson shows that he is a flexible kid for his size. He displays good bend in the knee while in his stance. He has the overall athletic ability to fire out of his stance and consistently be one of the first linemen off the ball almost every play.

Samuelson's superior run blocking abilities are what set him apart from most other prospects. He is dominant at the line of scrimmage. Once he engages the defender, he is usually finishing off the block by driving him into the ground. Samuelson also gets to the second level well to block linebackers in the run game.

In addition to above average run blocking abilities Samuelson has a solid pull game too. The ability to pull and run is something that not too many players, especially larger linemen, can do well. This is another reason why I see Samuelson fitting in well along NU's interior line in the future.

Attributes : Samuelson definitely has the qualities of an throw back lineman. He plays with great effort and competitiveness. You can tell that he really enjoys mixing it up on the field and winning the battle in the trenches that takes place every play. He is a tough kid and you simply can't coach that.

Samuelson takes as much pride in being successful in the classroom as he does in being successful on the field. He is an honor roll member, active in student council and his church, and generally just a good character kid. Just the type that Nebraska seeks out to fit into their program.

Room for improvement : The biggest area of improvement for Samuelson will be in his pass protection.

You don't really get a sense for his pass protection skills from watching his film. As with most incoming offensive lineman, dealing with a legit division one defensive lineman with an array of pass rush skill will be completely new to Samuelson when he steps foot on campus.

One other thing that I would like to see more out of Samuelson is keeping his feet under him. He is so aggressive in the run game that sometimes he can get out over his feet too much. If he can work on keeping his feet on the next level he'll be a good one.


Summary: Samuelson's recruitment was fast and furious. The Nebraska coaching staff identified him as having a skill set that they were in need of and they went after him in a big way. I think this is shows that kids are really starting to take notice of Nebraska and that this staff will come hard after a player that they feel fits their needs and system well.

Samuelson reminds me of a throwback, nasty offensive lineman. I love the attitude that he displays on film and usually that type of attitude is contagious on the field and in the weight room. He should be a fun player to watch develop within Nebraska's system over the next few years.



Clouse has nearly 10 years of football evaluating experience through his time working on the football recruiting staffs at Nebraska and Iowa Western Community College, along with serving as a scout for Recruits Unlimited. He can be reached at nate@huskeronline.com.


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