COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ever since he arrived at Ohio State two years ago, a familiar question has followed Curtis Samuel: What position does he play?
With fewer than two months to go until the start of his junior season, Monday night may have provided some clarity.
After Samuel started his college career as a running back before transitioning to wide receiver and appeared to stand somewhere in between heading into 2016, the Buckeyes' announcement that Bri'onte Dunn has been dismissed due to a violation of team rules may ultimately force the hybrid player back into the Ohio State backfield.
While redshirt freshman Mike Weber may now be "the man" for the Buckeyes at running back, Samuel's services will only be more necessary—not that he wasn't already a player who Urban Meyer was counting on for the coming year.
"Instead of being a guy who's second to someone," Meyer said of Samuel earlier this offseason, "he's got to take charge."
At the time, it appeared the plan was for Samuel to do so in an adopted hybrid role—not fully a running back, but not necessarily a wide receiver either. With Dunn and Weber carrying the load and a young wide receiver corps emerging around J.T. Barrett, the 5'11", 200-pounder could pick his spots as either a scat back or slot receiver, motioning in and out of the backfield based on how the defense lined up.
Such versatility may no longer be afforded.
At least not with the increase in uncertainty in an Ohio State running back corps that was already in the process of replacing one of the nation's top players in Ezekiel Elliott. Weber may have always had the higher upside, but Dunn possessed the experience, which is something Samuel also brings to the table, regardless of what position it's come at.
"I've got a heart of a running back," Samuel said during spring practice, which he sat out due to foot surgery. "But I'm [currently] at receiver."
Nevertheless, Samuel had already insisted on playing both spots upon his return to action, and when talking to members of the Buckeyes staff, it became clear he was expected to be one of the focal points of the Ohio State offense this upcoming season.
Running backs coach Tony Alford praised his explosiveness, while wide receivers coach Zach Smith noted his versatility, stopping short of calling the Brooklyn, New York, native a pure wideout when asked point-blank what position the junior-to-be would be playing in 2016.
"A dynamic player," Smith labeled Samuel.
On an offense searching to replace Elliott's 1,821 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns—as well as Braxton Miller's 261 yards on the ground—Samuel's playmaking ability will be needed now more than ever.
In fact, even before Dunn's dismissal, Samuel was already the Buckeyes' second-leading returning rusher, trailing just Barrett with 132 yards and a score on 17 carries in 2015 despite primarily playing wideout.
To some extent, running back is where Samuel always seemed to possess the most potential, after he tallied 383 yards and six scores while serving as Elliott's top backup—ahead of Dunn—as a true freshman in 2014.
Yet whether it was because the Buckeyes staff was satisfied with its options in Dunn, Weber and true freshman Antonio Williams or perhaps because it was hoping to keep a potential return to running back for Samuel a secret, the staff never seemed to bring his name up when discussing potential replacements for Elliott.
But even as he stood on the sideline throughout the spring, it became clear Samuel was eyeing an increase in offensive touches, after amassing a mere 39 while stuck somewhere in the Buckeyes' crowded pecking order a year ago.
"I'm not going to limit myself by just being a running back or just playing receiver," he said.
Even if Dunn's dismissal makes the crowning of Weber as Ohio State's starter more of a formality than anything else, one would imagine Samuel will now serve as the top rushing option behind him and an even stronger candidate to receive carries as a speedy change of pace from the 5'10", 215-pound bowling ball-like redshirt freshman.
Dunn's departure could also lead to more touches for Samuel as a wideout and H-back, as it's one less mouth to feed in the Buckeyes' playmaker-heavy offense.
Replacing eight starters—including every starting skill position—little was known about the Ohio State offense heading into 2016, with or without Dunn. One less player who hadn't contributed much to this point in his college career won't change that—at least not for the unit as a whole.
But in the case of Samuel, Dunn's dismissal could very well create the most clarity he's seen since arriving in Columbus—which still isn't saying much.
If a go-to guy for Meyer and Barrett to turn to in the coming year is going to emerge, the odds just increased that player will be Samuel. He may still not have a full-time position, nor has he even secured a starting role, but when it comes to players Ohio State knows it can count on in 2016, Samuel remains one of the few.
Unlike the position—or lack thereof—he plays, there's no question about it.
Ben Axelrod is Bleacher Report's Big Ten lead writer. You can follow him on Twitter @BenAxelrod. Unless noted otherwise, all quotes were obtained firsthand. Recruiting and class ratings courtesy of 247Sports' composite ratings.
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