Tate Martell’s Roller Coaster Ride at Miami May Have Just Ended
The Tate Martell era at Miami, short-lived as it was, could be entering its final weeks.
The countdown may be smaller than just weeks. Martell, a touted high school quarterback and Ohio State transfer, opted out of the 2020 season.
Many expected Martell to be the next great college football quarterback. Instead, he may be headed to his third school in four years — and with the NFL still nowhere in sight.
Tate Martell was a highly-recruited high school QB
An athletic quarterback who attended powerhouse Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Tate Martell’s high school stats read off like a video game.
Martell completed 60% of his passes for 7,507 yards, 113 touchdowns, and only nine interceptions in 652 attempts. The dual-threat quarterback also totaled 2,294 rushing yards and 35 touchdowns on 7.3 yards per carry.
Martell posted seven career games with at least 100 yards rushing, including five as a senior in 2016.
Martell signed with Ohio State out of high school. With J.T. Barrett entering his final college season, Martell was expected to compete with Dwayne Haskins and Joe Burrow for the starting job in 2018.
Martell has had issues at Ohio State and Miami
Tate Martell completed 23 of his 28 passes in 2018 for 269 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions.
Martell also averaged 5.8 yards per carry on 22 runs and scored two touchdowns. But before he let his arm and legs do the talking, Martell said things he probably shouldn’t have said — or in his case, tweeted.
Martell took subliminal shots at Justin Fields, the Georgia quarterback who was transferring to Ohio State. With Joe Burrow at LSU and Dwayne Haskins preparing for the NFL, Martell was considered the favorite to replace Haskins in 2019.
Martell tweeted a challenge, of sorts, to Fields.
word of advice:
———————
– don’t swing and miss… especially not your second time
Martell later deleted the tweet. After publicly saying he wouldn’t leave Ohio State, Martell then transferred to Miami in January 2019.
Expected to compete for the starting quarterback job at Miami, Martell began the year as a backup behind Jarren Williams. Martell completed his lone pass for seven yards and had seven carries for seven yards.
Although Miami moved Martell to receiver, he never caught a pass and returned to quarterback midway through the 2019 campaign.
Miami suspended Martell, still a backup, for the Sept. 10 opener against UAB.
Tate Martell may need to find a new school
In news first reported by the Miami Herald, Tate Martell opted out of the 2020 season.
Considering his lack of playing time and the one-game suspension he served in early-September, Martell may have played his final down for the Hurricanes. D’Eriq King is entrenched as the Canes’ starter this year and Miami could pivot to freshman Tyler Van Dyke in 2021.
Players who opt out of the 2020 season have the ability to opt back in without penalty. Those who sign with an agent need to apply for a hardship waiver.
Martell is a talented and athletic player who could shine at a lower level, whether it is a Group of 5 school or an FCS program. The time off could provide Martell with an opportunity to clear his head and prepare for whatever his next step is.
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