There is no one in college football like Syracuse's Demetres Samuel Jr.
He's 17 years old, the second-youngest player in the country according to ESPN. And he's a two-way player, destined to line up at both cornerback and wide receiver for the Orange.
Right now, Samuel is focusing on his cornerback duties. And he's doing that job as well as anyone in the country.
The analytics website PFSN ranks Samuel as the second-best cornerback in the entire country so far this season.
Our highest-graded CBs, nationally:
— Cam Mellor (@CamMellor) September 22, 2025
1) Mansoor Delane, @LSUfootball: 98.9
2) Demetres Samuel Jr., Syracuse: 96.6
3) Hezekiah Masses, California: 96.4
4) Colton Hood, Tennessee: 93.6
5) Keith Abney II, Arizona State: 92.8
6) DeAgo Brumfield, Mississippi State: 92.7
7) Will James,… pic.twitter.com/h48jrVJju2
It's been remarkable to watch in the early portions of the season.
Right away in the opener, Tennessee was targeting the freshman early and often. That's continued through each of Syracuse's games.
But Samuel has essentially always looked right up to the task.
He'll surely get plenty more action this upcoming Saturday when Duke visits Central New York. QB Darian Mensah has been chucking the ball a lot already this season for the Blue Devils.
But at least as the numbers tell it, Samuel is already a star. He'll be up to the task.