Comparing Demetres Samuel Jr., the Syracuse football true freshman who just turned 17 in April, to a Heisman Trophy winner is probably a bit unfair, but who knows, maybe it will prove accurate?
The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Samuel, a Florida native and a four-star commit for the Orange in its 2025 class, has a chance as a college newbie to make an impact for the 'Cuse on both sides of the field.
This spring, head coach Fran Brown said that Samuel had a shot to be one of the team's starting cornerbacks in the upcoming campaign, while also potentially getting reps at wide receiver, too.
Now, the Orange is working its way through fall camp, with the 2025 season opener on August 30 against No. 18 Tennessee just a tad more than three weeks away. So we'll have to see how everything plays out with Samuel in his freshman term on the Hill, yet his athleticism is off-the-charts appealing.
Syracuse football has a talented freshman in defensive back/wide receiver Demetres Samuel Jr.
Recently, in its Atlantic Coast Conference preview ahead of the 2025 campaign, ESPN named Samuel as one of its freshmen to watch in the league. The article stated in part, "Samuel is a dynamic athlete and has legitimate two-way potential. Sound familiar? Though it's unwise to put Travis Hunter comparisons on any player, Samuel showed enough in spring ball for Orange coach Fran Brown to say he'll be in the mix for a spot as a starting corner this fall, and he'll also get a chance at receiver."
A standout at Heritage High School in Palm Bay, Fla., Samuel was initially in the 2026 class but moved to the 2025 cycle, where he was still a top-250 national prospect, according to several recruiting services.
Of course, we all know what Colorado cornerback/wide receiver Hunter did in 2024, winning the Heisman and numerous other awards before getting selected No. 2 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
His stats with Colorado last year as a two-way threat were mind-boggling, and I'm not in any way suggesting that Samuel will replicate that production as a freshman. Not by any means.
However, I do think that Samuel can make a sizable contribution to the 'Cuse in 2025, whether that's on offense, defense or both. As ESPN said: "He initially projected as a safety and isn't afraid to come downhill to make tackles in the box. He also has the versatility and short-burst speed to close space in zone coverage and match up man-to-man on the outside. His 10.52 100-meter dash speed translates to receiver as well. Expect him to make an impact this fall, especially in a fairly inexperienced defensive backs room."
In ESPN's preview, it also had Syracuse football at No. 12 in its preseason ACC power rankings, which is the same spot that the Orange held in the recently released preseason ACC media poll. ESPN doesn't view the 'Cuse as a College Football Playoff contender among league schools, either.
It's all good. Keep sleeping on Syracuse football, national and ACC media members.