Tag: ra’shaad samples

Ra’Shaad Samples’ Texas connections will be to Oregon’s benefit

Ra’Shaad Samples knows Texas, which can only help in recruiting.

There are a lot of intriguing aspects of the Ra’Shaad Samples hire for the Oregon Ducks, not the least of which is his experience both at the college and NFL level, having worked closely with Sean McVay and Kenny Dillingham over the past couple of years.

However, one of the biggest things Samples brings to the table is his ability to recruit. During his time at SMU and Arizona State, Samples was widely considered one of the best recruiters on staff, and he has an incredible ability to build relationships with players that resonate throughout their recruitment.

Not only is his recruiting a plus, but his background acts as a bonus as well.

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“Texas is important to me,” Samples said. “I’ve recruited to Texas all my life since I’ve been here.”

Growing up in Texas, Samples is familiar with the football hotbed, and his dad being the legendary Reginald Samples, head coach at Duncanville, helps his connections as well.

“Just the relationship with those high school coaches in Texas,” Samples said. “I’m gonna be that guy through and through no matter where I go. It’s a part of me, so I really don’t have to take it anywhere. It just goes where I go, and I’ve had success everywhere I’ve gone in Texas.”

Currently, the Ducks are recruiting a couple of people at Duncanville, with 5-star WR Dakorien Moore being the prized recruit. However, there are a ton of players in the state of Texas that I’m sure Dan Lanning would love to land.

With a new coach who has deep connections in the Lone Star State, and a unique ability to develop those relationships with players, the arrow should certainly be pointed up.

“It starts with having real relationships,” Samples said. “Knowing who to pick up the phone and call, knowing who knows what’s going on, knowing who the champions are in every city. And I think I got that down pat in Texas.”

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Familiarity with Kenny Dillingham is helping Ra’Shaad Samples settle in Eugene

Ra’Shaad Samples’ familiarity with Kenny Dillingham has definitely made the transition in Eugene a bit easier.

After former Oregon Ducks running backs coach Carlos Locklyn departed for Ohio State, the state of one of the Ducks’ most dominant position groups was, for a moment, unclear. But quickly, Oregon hired Ra’Shaad Samples, giving Ducks’ fans the fun offseason surprise of bringing in one of the best young coaches in college football.

Before coming to Oregon, Samples was the wide receivers coach at Arizona State, where he worked under head coach Kenny Dillingham, the Ducks’ former offensive coordinator. After Oregon’s second spring scrimmage on Saturday, Samples spoke to the media for the first time as a member of the Ducks, and he had great things to say about his time under Dillingham.

“Oh, it helped a bunch because there was definitely some crossover between the programs and how we did things,” Samples said. “Kenny was awesome to work for. So, he was good to me too as a head coach but it helped a bunch. I think the transition from Kenny to here made it so much easier.”

Since Dillingham took the Arizona State job in 2022, he’s maintained strong connections with Oregon football. After the Ducks crushed the Sun Devils in Tempe in November 2023, Dillingham showed encouragement for his former team, urging them to go win the national championship.

And, after the news broke that Samples would be taking the RB coach job at Oregon, Dillingham gave congratulations to Samples on Twitter.

The Oregon Ducks RB room looks loaded for 2024, with veterans Jordan James, Noah Whittington, and Jayden Limar returning, and with newcomers like Jay Harris coming in. There is bound to be a period of adjustment for the RBs as they transition from Locklyn to Samples, but so far, Samples seems primed to be a great leader of the Ducks RBs.

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Ra’Shaad Samples pulling knowledge from LaMichael James, Kenjon Barner to further Ducks RBs

“When you leave that kind of legacy, you don’t want that legacy to die.”

One of the most encouraging things that former Oregon Ducks running backs coach Carlos Locklyn did during his time coaching in Eugene was pulling on experience from Oregon legends to improve the current players on the roster, as well as himself as a coach.

Throughout his two years in Eugene, Locklyn talked about conversations with the legendary RB coach Gary Campbell and often referred to a group chat that he had with guys like LaMichael James, Jonathan Stewart, Kenjon Barner, Royce Freeman, and more. Keeping the past close to the present was important for Locklyn, and propping up that legacy meant something.

That’s something that Ra’Shaad Samples is looking to continue as the new Oregon RB coach.

“I actually talked to LaMichael while I was on the plane studying the plays,” Samples said on Saturday. “I’ve talked to him, I’ve talked to Kenjon, those guys have been awesome.”

While Samples has some experience in the coaching game, having spent time in both the college and NFL ranks, he is still incredibly young, and at just 29, admits that he grew up watching a lot of these guys play when they were at Oregon. That has made this process of getting to know them more meaningful, in a sense.

“It’s important you know, I grew up watching those guys,” Samples said. “That’s what I told them, ‘I grew up watching you guys, watching this success you guys had as one of the best duos in the backfield.’ And it’s important to keep that alive and also build on it.”

Samples is certainly hoping that the Ducks can produce a similar duo this year, with the likes of Jordan James and Noah Whittington taking over as the lead backs after the departure of Bucky Irving.

Even if they don’t create a legacy as big as James and Barner, though, having that platform to build off of is important in the end.

“When you leave that kind of legacy, you don’t want that legacy to die,” Samples said. “You want more guys in the room who can continue to keep the running back group to living off so that’s what we hope to do.”

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Jordan James opens up about working with Ra’Shaad Samples after Locklyn’s departure

“He knows what he’s talking about,” Jordan James said of Ra’Shaad Samples. “He’s gonna help us win games.”

It’s never easy for a player when their position coach takes off for another job opportunity elsewhere in the nation, but it may be a more difficult process to go through when said position coach leaves midway through the season, whether that be in the spring or the fall.

That’s something that the Oregon Ducks running back room has had to deal with over the past few weeks, with former RB coach Carlos Locklyn leaving to take a job with the Ohio State Buckeyes. The move took place the day before Oregon returned to spring camp following their spring break period, so the backs in the room were left without some stability for a short period of time.

Fortunately, head coach Dan Lanning was able to act quickly and make a great hire, bringing in Ra’Shaad Samples from the Arizona State Sun Devils. Samples spent time previously as an RB coach for the Los Angeles Rams, and is considered one of the rising stars in the coaching game.

While the hire is encouraging, the players in that room have still had to deal with the transition phase, going from one coach to another in short order.

“We have to work through it,” Oregon RB Jordan James said on Tuesday after practice, “Obviously, an unexpected loss of Coach Lock, but I think we’ve done a great job just within ourselves, holding each other accountable and doing the things were supposed to do while that process happened.”

James stands alongside Noah Whittington as the two prominent backs in the Oregon offense, while both Jay Harris and Jayden Limar will vie for larger roles this offseason as well. This will be James’ third year in Eugene, while Whitting also acts as a veteran at the position.

While the position went through the changes over the past few weeks, it has been their leadership that helped the transition.

“I think it’s important to just have some structure,” James said, “Obviously we didn’t have that when we were going through the process of finding a coach. But you know, like I said, we’ve done a great job. The whole room does a great job of holding us accountable and doing the things we’re supposed to do, regardless of the situation.”

As far as Samples goes, there is some excitement about what he brings to the table, both in his ability to develop players and recruit out on the trail as well. While he is still getting caught up on everything in Eugene, his presence has been felt early on.

“He knows what he’s talking about,” James said. “He’s gonna help us win games. He’s gonna help us get better at every aspect of our game.”

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Report: Oregon has reached out to former Georgia RB Andrew Paul

Per a report, the Ducks have reached out to former Georgia RB Andrew Paul.

Andrew Paul, an exciting running back for the Georgia Bulldogs, has decided to enter the transfer portal, and the Oregon Ducks have reportedly reached out to the intriguing prospect. Paul has three years of eligibility remaining.

According to a report from On3’s Steve Wiltfong, the Ducks are one of many teams who have contacted Paul since he announced that he is leaving Georgia.

In seven games as a freshman, Paul gained 143 all-purpose yards and scored 2 touchdowns for the Bulldogs. As a recruit, Paul ranked as a 3-star and the No. 59 RB in the class of 2022, but he was widely regarded as one of the most underrated recruits in his class and became a hot prospect in January of 2022.

During his initial recruitment, the Ducks went hard to bring Paul to Eugene. In early 2022, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning and former RBs coach Carlos Locklyn took an in-home visit with Paul after he rushed for 2600+ yards and 40+ TDs in his senior year of high school.

Paul was unable to play in 2022 because of an ACL tear he suffered in August just before the season. In 2023, Paul played sporadically averaging 4.4 yards per carry on a low volume of touches. Many expected Paul to be a depth piece for the Bulldogs once again in 2024, which could’ve played a role in his decision to transfer.

Carlos Locklyn, who recently left Oregon to be Ohio State’s RBs coach, was one of Paul’s primary recruiters, but Dan Lanning was equally involved in his recruitment, so Paul still has a personal connection with the Oregon coaching staff.

Another wrinkle to consider is how Paul relates to Oregon’s newly-minted RBs coach Ra’Shaad Samples. Both Paul and Samples hail from Dallas, Texas, a state where Samples has had recruiting success in the past. Samples is generally regarded as one of the nation’s best young recruiters, which could play a big role in bringing the former Bulldog to Oregon.

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Dan Lanning details why Ra’Shaad Samples was the right hire at Oregon

Dan Lanning had to work hard to hold back his excitement about the Ra’Shaad Samples hire on Tuesday afternoon.

Just over a week ago, the news came out that former Oregon Ducks running backs coach Carlos Locklyn was leaving Eugene to take a job with the Ohio State Buckeyes.

The timing was unfortunate, as it left the Ducks without an RB coach just as they resumed spring practices following spring break. Talking to head coach Dan Lanning after the move was announced, though, you could feel a sense of calm confidence that his coaching staff would stay afloat.

“I mean, it’s football. It’s the reality,” Lanning said last week. “Transitions give you an opportunity to get better, so that’s our goal. We’re gonna go get better. We’re going to bring somebody in here who can do a really good job with our organization.”

I’d say mission accomplished.

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On Tuesday morning, the Ducks officially announced the hire of former Arizona State coach Ra’Shaad Samples, naming him the new RB coach and Assistant Head Coach in Eugene. At ASU, Samples spent a year alongside former Oregon OC Kenny Dillingham for a season as the wide receivers coach, and passing game coordinator. Before that, Samples spent a year in the NFL as the running backs coach for the Los Angeles Rams. He was hired by the Rams at age 27, making him the youngest position coach in NFL history.

While Lanning hasn’t personally worked with Samples prior to his time in Eugene, there are past relationships with others on the staff who played a big part in the hire.

“You always lean on relationships of people that know the guys and there’s several guys on our staff that knew Ra’Shaad,” Lanning said on Tuesday. He’s a guy I knew of that I didn’t get to work with personally, but Will (Stein) worked with him and Drew (Mehringer) worked with him in the past.”

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More than just being a very solid position coach who is considered one of the brighter up-and-coming stars in the coaching world, Samples has an elite recruiting track-record in the state of Texas, where Oregon has found a lot of success in the past.

“He’s good at relationships, right? He cares about relationships, and that’s gonna pay off for us in recruiting,” Lanning said. “The pieces that he adds to our program, his experience — even as a young up-and-comer he’s had some great experience — his play as a player and then letting that carry over to his experience the NFL, the multitude of positions that he’s worked with, made him a really great fit for us. Somebody we’re really excited about.”

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While Samples was with the team on Tuesday and coaching the RB room, there may be some time before he is fully up to speed and ready to take over that position group as his own. That won’t stop him from diving into the depend and getting the process started.

“I’ve said it here before, you can’t eat an elephant in one bite,” Lanning said. “So he’s gonna learn as quickly as he can. On his flight up, he’s watching installs on the plane. He’s getting ready to roll. It’s gonna be a lot of early mornings and late nights for him right now, but I know he embraces that. And we’ll get him caught up as fast as we can.”

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Oregon Ducks officially announce Ra’Shaad Samples as new RB coach

Officially official. Ra’Shaad Samples is now on the staff in Eugene.

The Oregon Ducks officially announced the hiring of Ra’Shaad Samples as their new assistant head coach and running backs coach on Tuesday morning via press release.

Ducks Wire confirmed a report over the weekend that the university was hiring samples as their new position coach, replacing Carlos Locklyn, who left Eugene to take a job with the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Samples comes to Oregon from the University of Arizona State, where he worked with former Oregon Ducks offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham for a season as the wide receivers coach, and passing game coordinator. Before that, Samples spent a year in the NFL as the running backs coach for the Los Angeles Rams. He was hired by the Rams at age 27, making him the youngest position coach in NFL history.

“We are thrilled to be able to add a coach of Ra’Shaad’s caliber to our program,” Lanning said via press release. “Coach Samples is one of the brightest young coaches in all of football, and it is easy to see why he has had such a rapid rise through the coaching ranks. He is a dynamic personality who will bring out the very best in our student-athletes both on and off the field, and he will recruit relentlessly to bring the best young men we can find to our program. I am excited to see the impact Ra’Shaad has on our players’ development as we continue to build upon the storied history of running backs here at Oregon.”

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How much did Thomas Brown impact Cam Akers’ resurgence late last year?

Cam Akers caught fire late last season, and it may not be a coincidence that it happened when Thomas Brown began coaching the RBs again.

Cam Akers was a complete non-factor in the first five weeks of the season. In a backup role, he rushed for 151 yards on 51 carries. After a slow start to the year, he and the Rams had their very odd and puzzling dispute before Week 6, resulting in Akers not practicing or being around the team for three weeks.

Akers returned to the team and played just 21 snaps in his first two games back, but from the end of November on, he was a stud. He rushed for 610 yards and scored six touchdowns on 126 carries in the final eight games of the season, including a three-game stretch with 345 yards and three touchdowns to close out the season.

So what changed? What caused Akers to go from struggling so badly to looking like one of the more efficient runners in the league?

Thomas Brown may have played a role in that.

One day after Akers returned to the team in November, Sean McVay told reporters that Brown – at the time, the assistant head coach and tight ends coach – would transition into a role where he was more involved with the running backs. Brown was the running backs coach in 2021, but before the 2022 season, he moved to TEs coach and the Rams filled his vacated role by hiring Ra’Shaad Samples.

Samples’ tenure with the Rams didn’t seem to go very well, with the ground game failing to gain any traction. Then on Dec. 6, it was reported that Samples accepted a job as Arizona State’s wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator.

That’s right about when Akers started to catch fire.

Why bring this up now? Because Brown is gone, accepting a role as the Panthers’ offensive coordinator.

It’s worth asking how Brown’s departure will impact Akers and the Rams’ ground game as a whole. He seemed to be the one that got things back on track in the second half of the season, and perhaps his return to a role coaching the running backs is what resolved Akers’ dispute with the team. After all, they happened in the same week.

The Rams are going to miss Brown. There’s no denying that. He was a rising coach on their staff, someone McVay held in high regard. But it’s possible Akers and the running back room is going to regress without his presence in practice and in meetings.

Brown hasn’t been gone long, but the Rams have yet to find a replacement for him. They filled his role as the tight ends coach by hiring Nick Caley, but Brown was set to be the running backs coach in 2023. That position is still vacant.

If the Rams are sold on Akers as their starting running back, they need to find a coach who meshes well with him. Samples didn’t seem to be the guy, but Brown clearly was. He won’t be easy to replace in Los Angeles.

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Why Holmon Wiggins and Ra’Shaad Samples would both be good hires for Texas WR coach

Can Texas really go wrong with Holmon Wiggins or Ra’Shaad Samples?

Holmon Wiggins are Ra’Shaad Samples each are linked as top targets for the Texas wide receiver coach opening. In my estimation, both would be huge wins for Texas. Continue reading “Why Holmon Wiggins and Ra’Shaad Samples would both be good hires for Texas WR coach”

Arizona State to hire Rams’ Ra’Shaad Samples as WRs coach

Ra’Shaad Samples is leaving the Rams after just one season, heading to Arizona State to be their WRs coach

The Los Angeles Rams made Ra’Shaad Samples the youngest position coach in the NFL this year when they hired him as their running backs coach at the age of 27. He made the jump to the pros after spending six years total with Houston, Texas and SMU, but he’s heading back to the college level already.

According to Pete Thamel, Arizona State is hiring Samples as their wide receivers coach and will have a “large role with the offense, including bringing Rams concepts into scheme.”

Prior to joining the Rams, Samples was SMU’s running backs coach in 2020 and 2021, adding the title of assistant head coach in his final year with the team in 2021. He started there as an offensive assistant in 2019 after being an assistant WRs coach at Texas in 2018.

It’s been a rough year for the Rams’ running backs but that’s not the fault of Samples. He’s clearly a bright offensive mind and now gets to take what he learned with the Rams and bring it to the Sun Devils offense.

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