Next Level: Former Los Lunas star sees increased role for Aggies

We don’t know the outcome of tonight’s New Mexico State-San Jose State in the Bay Area, but we do know former Los Lunas running back O’Maury Samuels will likely have a significant role in the Aggies’ offense. Through five games, Samuels has 59 total touches, an average of 11.8 per game. However, his involvement in the offense the past two games has risen dramatically. In NMSU’s lone win over S.C. State two weeks ago, Samuels had 17 touches (13 rushing, 4 receptions). Last weekend in the loss to Hawaii, Samuels had 20 touches (15 rushing, 5 receptions). After going three years between games following his transfer from Michigan in 2019 and then the covid pandemic, Samuels is clearly an integral piece of the Aggies’ offense. “He’s a very physical runner. He’s always going forward,” NMSU head coach Doug Martin said following the Hawaii game last Saturday. “He’s not going to take negative yards. And he’s become a better and better pass receiver. He had a couple of big catches (vs. Hawaii). That’s an area where he has improved a lot. He has a lot of diversity to his game. He’s a really talented guy.” For the season, Samuels is the Aggies’ second-leading rusher with 149 yards and 1 TD on 48 carries and he’s one of five NMSU pass catchers with double digit receptions. Going into Saturday’s night road test at San Jose State, Samuels has 11 receptions for 67 yards. Martin admires Samuels for how he plays when he doesn’t have the ball in his hands, as well as his pre-game preparation. “He’s probably one of our best pass protectors,” Martin said. “He’s very physical and strong. It was a long time off for him. To come back and play as well as he has says a lot about him. He’s a student of the game. “He’s always in the office watching film and he meets extra with his position coach. He’s a very intelligent player and a great leader for us too. He’s someone that the rest of our guys listen to. He’s been nothing but a great leader.” Samuels finished his prep career at Los Lunas High School with 4,306 rushing yards and 50 touchdowns. He signed with Michigan and totaled 66 rushing yards on 13 attempts in seven games as a sophomore in 2018 before transferring to New Mexico State. https://twitter.com/NMStateFootball/status/1444331355236548611 <strong>LOBO LUKE</strong>: Going into today’s Mountain West opener against Air Force at University Stadium in Albuquerque, former Cleveland standout [player_tooltip player_id="26158" first="Luke" last="Wysong"] is New Mexico’s leading receiver after four games. He has 14 receptions for 101 yards. While his number of catches tops the list, he’s second in receiving yardage. He has also carried 11 times for 48 yards, mostly on jet sweeps and end-around plays. https://twitter.com/UNMLoboFB/status/1444317483364585480 &nbsp; &nbsp;