The Oregon Ducks’ 2025 recruiting class is taking shape and flexing it’s connection to the state of Texas. Oregon coach Dan Lanning’s strong connection to Texas is partly thanks to Oregon running backs coach Ra’Shaad Samples.

Samples was the primary recruiter for the nation’s No. 1 wide receiver Dakorien Moore committed to Oregon over his hometown state’s Texas Longhorns, LSU Tigers and Ohio State Buckeyes.

Samples had a special relationship with Moore – Samples’ father is Moore’s high school head coach at Duncanville (TX).

How does it feel for Samples to sway an elite athlete away from their home state?

“I mean, it feels normal. I think that’s what Dan expects of me,” Samples said after Oregon practice on Monday. “That’s what I expect of myself, so I mean, it’s part of the job. That’s what I came here to do to be able to sign some of these guys, – bring a different landscape, bringing in guys from Texas, and winning recruiting battles. It’s a part of the job at this level and it’s an expectation for me, it’s the standard for me, it’s the standard that Dan expects from me, it’s why he brought me here.”

Samples commit list also includes four-star running back Tradarian Ball (Texarkana, TX), running back Dierre Hill (Belleville, IL) and running back Jordon Davison (Mater Dei, Santa Ana, CA.)

Lanning hired Samples, who is just 29 years old, in April from Arizona State. He is a top-10 recruiter and ranked as the No. 1 recruiter in the Pac-12 Conference last season. Samples was the wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator at Arizona State in 2023. In 2022, he earned the honor as the youngest position coach in the NFL as running backs coach for the Los Angeles Rams.

“Oh, it’s been great (to recruit as a Duck) Just being here, being connected with the staff, some of the guys we’ve been able to recruit I think we’ve been able to create some momentum both in 25 and 26,” Samples said. “So it’s been fun, man, just learning how to do things here. Just learning the landscape of the team, of Eugene, and just being able to share that with recruits has been awesome.”

Oregon’s 2025 class and 2026 class are both currently ranked No. 6 in the country.

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