| Syracuse Orange–No. 1 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Cornerback / Wide receiver |
| Class | Freshman |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | April 2, 2008 [1] |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight | 190 lb (86 kg) |
| Career history | |
| College |
|
| High school | Heritage (Palm Bay, Florida) |
Demetres Samuel Jr. (born April 2, 2008) [1] is an American football cornerback and wide receiver for the Syracuse Orange.
Samuel attended Heritage High School, where, as a freshman, he totaled 35 tackles and seven pass deflections. [2] As a sophomore, he recorded 19 tackles and five interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown. [3] Coming out of high school, Samuel was rated as a four-star recruit, the 18th overall safety, the 32nd overall player in Florida, and the 207th overall player in the class of 2025. [4] He received offers from schools such as Alabama, Florida, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Michigan State, Nebraska, Syracuse, Kentucky, and Auburn. [5] Samuel initially committed to play college football for the Syracuse Orange before he switched his commitment to the Florida Gators and eventually flipped back to Syracuse, all within a six-month span. [4]
Heading into his freshman season, he is supposed to start at cornerback, while also playing some wide receiver, as a 17 year old. [6] [7]
Samuel was named by ESPN as one of top 10 incoming freshmen and by On3 as a True Freshman All-American. [8]