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D.J. Samuels is putting up a monster junior season, the Bergen Catholic edge rusher proving why he is one of the top players in New Jersey for the class of 2023.
Bergen Catholic (6-0) is the consensus top team in the state and has shut out their last three opponents. Samuels has 20 tackles on the year (10 tackles for a loss) and 6.5 sacks. Samuels is coming off a weekend where on Friday night, Bergen Catholic beat Paramus Catholic 63-0, and on Saturday he took in the Rutgers football game against then No. 11 Michigan State.
The Spartans beat the Scarlet Knights 31-13. Samuels enjoyed the day at SHI Stadium and is keeping Rutgers recent losing streak – all to teams currently in the top 10 of this week’s USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll – in perspective.
“It was definitely a good day. Rutgers didn’t have the outcome that they wanted,” Samuels told ‘Rutgers Wire.’
“Obviously that first game, Michigan, that’s a win they shouldn’t have. Like coach [Greg] Schiano said, it is a rebuild. At the end of the day, they are top 10 teams, they aren’t losing to bums. It is Schiano’s first real year to rebuild, they have to take it step-by-step.
“Rutgers is definitely in my recruitment with them being my home state and them being the first team to offer me.”
Samuels said that programs are recruiting him as an edge rusher or an outside linebacker. He is the No. 10 player in New Jersey in the 2023 class according to 247Sports.
On the recruitment front, the three-star defensive end said that Maryland, Penn State, Michigan, Rutgers from a recruiting statement and have reached out the most. But despite the hype and the attention, Samuels remains grounded on team goals first – although he does hope to build on his 10.5 sacks a year ago.
“We want to go undefeated, that’d be great especially in the league we play in. Winning a state championship – really that’s out main focus,” Samuels said.
“Hopefully I’m able to break my school sack record and for the all-time league sack record I need nine [more].”
Samuels broke down his recruitment and said that four programs have emerged as those recruiting him the heaviest. He hopes to take more time and really dive into recruiting once his junior season is over.
Samuels said that four programs are recruiting him the hardest: Maryland, Penn State, Michigan, and Rutgers. All are even right now. Samuels provided some context and thoughts about the three other programs who are heating up the race in his recruitment besides Rutgers:
Maryland – “Maryland I love their coaching staff, I talk to them about every week. They talk to me a different conversation every week. I have a great connection with the staff and just talking with them.”
Penn State – “I talk to coach [James] Franklin, I talk to coach [Antwan] Barnes (graduate assistant) – he’s a great dude. They check up on my every week, see how my game went. We just talk and it’s great.
“I like it a lot, I went to the white-out game this year. It’d be something as a player to be in that atmosphere. From a campus standpoint, it is beautiful out there.”
Michigan – “I definitely love Michigan, the way they’re playing right now. From a coaching standpoint, they are straightforward in terms of how they see me fitting in. I respect that. Just how they see me fit and what I can do there.
“They talk to me definitely about player development, I’m not rushing to get playing time, if I play early, I’m blessing. But it isn’t something I’m concerned about.”
Samuels hopes to be a Communications major in college.