Samuel Earns Shaun Alexander Award Freshman of the Week
9/23/2025 10:00:00 AM | Football
17-year-old true freshman Demetres Samuel Jr. continues to shine for the Syracuse football team, earning the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award's Player of the Week.
Samuel, who reclassified to the class of 2025, would otherwise be a senior in high school this season. On Saturday in Death Valley, he matched up against one of the nation's most talented receiver units and helped the Orange defense hold Clemson to 21 points in the road victory.
Samuel was targeted eight times by the Tigers, surrendering only four catches and breaking up a pass. He also made six tackles in the win.
He's the second true freshman to earn a major award in as many days for Syracuse, after Antoine Deslauriers was named ACC Linebacker of the Week for forcing a pair of fumbles vs. Clemson.
The Maxwell Football Club and the Shaun Alexander Award have once again partnered with Pro Football Focus (PFF) and Phil Steele Publications as selection committee partners. PFF provides detailed metrics and performance-based assessments to selection committee staff, with several senior PFF analysts are members of our selection committee. Phil Steele's College Football Preview is generally recognized as the most complete preseason magazine.
The Shaun Alexander Freshman Player of the Year Award is an honor given each year to the most outstanding freshman player in college football. Named after Shaun Alexander, a former standout at the University of Alabama and 2005 NFL MVP with the Seattle Seahawks, this award recognizes the exceptional performance and impact made by these players on their respective teams throughout the season. The Alexander Award is all about championing future legends and evaluates players based on Talent, Character, Ambassador and Legend.
Past winners include: Trevor Lawrence (Clemson) - 2018, Kenneth Gainwell (Memphis)-2019, Will Anderson Jr. (Alabama) – 2020, Brock Bowers (Georgia) – 2021, Drake Maye (North Carolina) 2022, Caleb Downs (Alabama) 2023 and Collin Simmons (Texas) 2024.
Samuel and the Orange return home on Saturday to host Duke at Noon. Tickets for the Duke game are sold out, fans are encouraged to utilize Ticketmaster Verified Resale for secondary market options. Orange Nation should also act now to secure seats for remaining games in the JMA Wireless Dome this season at Cuse.com/FootballTickets.
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Samuel, who reclassified to the class of 2025, would otherwise be a senior in high school this season. On Saturday in Death Valley, he matched up against one of the nation's most talented receiver units and helped the Orange defense hold Clemson to 21 points in the road victory.
Samuel was targeted eight times by the Tigers, surrendering only four catches and breaking up a pass. He also made six tackles in the win.
He's the second true freshman to earn a major award in as many days for Syracuse, after Antoine Deslauriers was named ACC Linebacker of the Week for forcing a pair of fumbles vs. Clemson.
The Maxwell Football Club and the Shaun Alexander Award have once again partnered with Pro Football Focus (PFF) and Phil Steele Publications as selection committee partners. PFF provides detailed metrics and performance-based assessments to selection committee staff, with several senior PFF analysts are members of our selection committee. Phil Steele's College Football Preview is generally recognized as the most complete preseason magazine.
The Shaun Alexander Freshman Player of the Year Award is an honor given each year to the most outstanding freshman player in college football. Named after Shaun Alexander, a former standout at the University of Alabama and 2005 NFL MVP with the Seattle Seahawks, this award recognizes the exceptional performance and impact made by these players on their respective teams throughout the season. The Alexander Award is all about championing future legends and evaluates players based on Talent, Character, Ambassador and Legend.
Past winners include: Trevor Lawrence (Clemson) - 2018, Kenneth Gainwell (Memphis)-2019, Will Anderson Jr. (Alabama) – 2020, Brock Bowers (Georgia) – 2021, Drake Maye (North Carolina) 2022, Caleb Downs (Alabama) 2023 and Collin Simmons (Texas) 2024.
Samuel and the Orange return home on Saturday to host Duke at Noon. Tickets for the Duke game are sold out, fans are encouraged to utilize Ticketmaster Verified Resale for secondary market options. Orange Nation should also act now to secure seats for remaining games in the JMA Wireless Dome this season at Cuse.com/FootballTickets.
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