Oregon has its replacement for Carlos Locklyn, and he'll join the Ducks as one of the emerging top recruiters in the country. Ra'Shaad Samples was officially announced as the new running backs coach and assistant head coach Tuesday, which was also his first day on the field with the Ducks.

Samples, whose hiring was rumored about prior to the announcement, comes to Eugene from Arizona State where he was the receivers coach and passing game coordinator last season. Prior to that, the former Oklahoma State and Houston receiver spent time in the NFL as a running backs coach with the Los Angeles Rams.

"First, I want to thank Kenny Dillingham and the opportunity he gave me at Arizona state," Samples said in a statement released by the program announcing the hire. "He played a big part in my growth but I am tremendously excited and grateful join Dan Lanning and his highly regarded staff at Oregon.

"The chance to learn from some of the best minds in football is invaluable. I am looking forward to adding value and becoming a part of the championship culture Oregon is continuously building on."

Samples rose in the coaching ranks at SMU before moving on to TCU in 2021 as the running backs coach and assistant head coach for the Horned Frogs.

During his time as a college coach, the 29-year-old Dallas native has built a profile as a top recruiter and has had nearly as much success as a talent developer as well.

Recently, he played a part in coach Elijhah Badger to an all-conference honorable mention selection after the Sun Devils' playmaker finished the 2023 season with 65 catches for 713 yards and three touchdowns.

He inherits a group at Oregon that features plenty of talent highlighted by top returner Jordan James (759 yards rushing, 11 touchdowns) plus Noah Whittington and Jayden Limar.

"We are thrilled to be able to add a coach of Ra'Shaad's caliber to our program," Lanning said. "Coach Samples is one of the brightest young coaches in all of football, and it is easy to see why he has had such a rapid rise through the coaching ranks. He is a dynamic personality who will bring out the very best in our student-athletes both on and off the field, and he will recruit relentlessly to bring the best young men we can find to our program. I am excited to see the impact Ra'Shaad has on our players' development as we continue to build upon the storied history of running backs here at Oregon."

Samples has a connection to the Oregon program after previously coaching alongside Drew Mehringer while at Texas. Mehringer, the Ducks' current tight ends coach, worked with the receivers while Samples was an offensive assistant.