Damien Martinez, a former Oregon State running back, is the top player in the current transfer portal window. He has a lot of admirers, and the running back’s situation should be resolved quickly. He recently visited Mississippi State and then declared that he was cancelling his visit to Kentucky, according to his X page.
I will not be in Kentucky on 23/24.The trip continues.
So it appears to be a three-team contest for Martinez, with Arizona, Mississippi State, and Miami all vying for his services. Martinez spoke with Andrew Nemec of SBLive Sports on the decision to limit the final choice to just three programs.
“I have strong feelings about these three selections. With everything I’ve heard and seen, I believe in these coaches and their plans for me. But, at the end of the day, I have to decide what is best for my job. I have to chose what will propel me to the next level and demonstrate that I am the best running back, hands down, in next year’s NFL draft class.”
Martinez is originally from Texas and just ended his sophomore season at Oregon State. He ran for 1,185 yards and nine touchdowns, including four scores and 146 yards against Stanford in November. However, with Jonathan Smith becoming Michigan State’s next head coach and the Beavers’ future unknown in a now two-team Pac-12, Martinez is seeking for a new chance.
Damien Martinez has scheduled a visit to Miami.
Martinez is now scheduled to visit the Miami Hurricanes, the squad that has been the favourite since the outset. Martinz also mentioned what has struck him about Miami so far, which is head coach Mario Cristobal’s persistence, according to Nemec.
“Man, Mario’s been persistent. Even before the visit, the entire staff made my family and I feel like we belonged. As everyone has seen, they came down twice before I arrived.”
The Hurricanes have been busy this summer, as they were able to sign former Washington State star quarterback Cameron Ward after he elected not to enter the NFL draft. Finding a way to bring Martinez in would be a huge boost, and the Hurricanes may be considered a sleeper in the ACC next season.
Martinez, on the other hand, raved about his visit to Mississippi State and the offensive strategy they employ.
“The Mississippi State visit was fantastic. They really demonstrated a different type of offence that I was hoping to see. Coach (Jeff) Lebby knows how to score, as seen by his performance in the spring game, which left me quite impressed. Their system has been demonstrated at a high level in his past institutions, so I absolutely believe in it.”
It’ll be interesting to see where Martinez ends up. For what it’s worth, Pete Nakos of On3 predicts Martinez will head to Miami. After a series of visits and some narrowing of the options, Damien Martinez is ready to visit
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