I think the stock of Samuels may have taken a hit. Entering the game, it was going to be necessary for Samuels to be an impact players for us to win. That became even more true once Hines went down.
How did he respond? 8 carries for 9 yards and 2 catches for 21 yards. He also drew one DPI penalty. His lack of production on his opportunities is a big reason the entire offense struggled. Obviously, Notre Dame keyed on him, but it should be expected that a player of his caliber would still be able to make more plays.
Samuels already had a problem for the NFL – what is his role? He isn’t a TE in the NFL, too small. He isn’t a fullback, as he has not played a blocking role in college. He isn’t a primary RB, because he hasn’t run the ball enough in college. IMO his role is likely to be a third down back.
Regardless, a big game on the national stage in front of a lot of scouts could have elevated his draft stock. Instead, his stock probably slipped.
