2018 Conference USA All-Freshman Team
2018 (r-Fr.) |12/7: Samuel rushed 121 times for 639 yards coming off his redshirt season to lead the Hilltoppers in both categories in 2018. His 639 rushing yards led all Conference USA freshmen and ranked seventh overall in the league, while he recorded the fourth-most by a freshman ballcarrier in WKU program history, just falling shy of D’Andre Ferby’s 650 yards in 2015 for third place. Samuel scored his first career touchdown on Sept. 22 at Ball State, sealing a 28-20 victory for the Hilltoppers with a five-yard score with 59 seconds remaining. He had 91 yards on a career-high 19 carries against the Cardinals, including 50 yards on the game-clinching drive. Later in the season, Samuel had a 101-yard performance with a career-long 61-yard rush on Nov. 10 at Florida Atlantic; it was the first 100-yard game by a WKU rusher since the 2016 Boca Raton Bowl.
2017 (Fr.): Samuel redshirted his first season on The Hill.
HS/Misc.: Samuel spent his prep career at Central Gwinnett High School under coach Todd Wofford. As a senior, Samuel tallied 972 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns, including a performance of 75 rushing yards, 102 receiving yards and a touchdown against powerhouse Norcross (11-1). Samuel averaged 123.4 all-purpose yards a game and 5.7 yards per carry. Samuel was ranked as a three-star on 247Sports.com and Scout.com and a two-star on Rivals.com. He was considered the 101st-best running back in the country and the 184th-best overall prospect in the state of Georgia.
