Tate Martell is an enigma and we should be thankful he still has eligibility
(Photo courtesy of 247sports)
Tate Martell is on the move again, and this time he’s headed home. If you are unaware of the 5’11” 205 pound dual-threat quarterback, he may as well be the most famous, or at least the most talked about, collegiate backup player of all time. Now he’ll be looking to prove the critics wrong with a starting role at UNLV.
Where do I even begin? Martell blew up back in 2017 after he led his high school, Bishop Gorman in Nevada, to three consecutive state titles and was making headlines left and right for his explosive, fast-paced style of play.
Martell’s college experience has been the furthest thing from ordinary considering he began receiving Division 1 offers in the 8th grade. Ever since he first committed to Washington University back in 2012, Martell has been the biggest enigma in all of college football.
After committing to Washington in the 8th grade, Martell’s timeline reads as follows:
Commits to Washington in 8th grade
Decommits from Washington in early 2015
Commits to Texas A&M a few months later
Decommits from Texas A&M almost one year later
Commits to Ohio State one month later in 2016 (committed one day after his first visit)
Never saw the field in a crowded QB room with JT Barret, Dwayne Haskins, and Joe Burrow when he first arrived
Lost the starting position at Ohio State in 2019 to Georgia transfer Justin Fields
Transfers to Miami (FL.) in 2019 shortly after
Plays behind D’Eriq King for a year then loses the QB battle to redshirt freshmen Jalen Williams
January of 2021 Martell enters the transfer portal
July 26, 2021 Martell announces his transfer to UNLV
As crazy and chaotic as this timeline may be, this is the correct decision for a completely unproven athlete. Martell made a name for himself in high school though never truly had the chance to showcase his talents.
Is Martell a product of bad coaching carousels and shitty timing? I mean, what are the odds you end up in the same QB room as two NFL quarterbacks and a Heisman trophy winner? Furthermore, what are the odds that the future 11th overall pick in the NFL draft would transfer in the following year to compete for the starting spot? I’m no mathematician, but that would suck.
Sure you can rag on Martell all you want considering he’s lost every QB battle he has been in since graduating high school, but at least the kid isn’t settling for second or third best. He is doing what he believes will put him in the best position to succeed. Personally, I think Texas A&M would have been a great fit for him, but considering 4-year starter Kellen Mond was in the same recruiting class as Martell, there was competition everywhere.
It’s been a long, drawn out road for Martell but I believe his football career is finally going to begin this coming season. If Martell somehow doesn’t win the QB battle at UNLV, I’ll eat my words; until then I’m hopping on the bandwagon now. This move just makes sense.
Martell is moving back home to Nevada where he’ll be playing for a smaller football program and lesser conference altogether (the Mountain West). There’s nothing wrong with playing for the little guys; division 1 football is division 1 football. Making a career out of throwing a pigskin isn’t always about the glamour or prestige of the program you attended, it’s all about your raw talent and ability to transition to the next level (for the most part).
This transfer is all about opportunity for Martell, and if he can’t ball out for the Runnin’ Rebels against Mountain West defenses then I think the root of every problem I’ve listed here would be confirmed to be Martell himself. This is a HUGE make or break year for him, and as I said before I’m hopping on the bandwagon before it’s too late.
The craziest part of all of this isn’t the two transfers, it’s not even the several decommits along the way, but the fact that after all of this, Martell has TWO years of eligibility remaining is completely bonkers. Martell graduated highschool in 2017 as a top-10 quarterback nationwide alongside Tua Tagovailoa, Sam Ehlinger, Kellen Mond, and Jake Fromm.
All of these guys are recognizable names but what’s so crazy is that Ehlinger and Mond were both drafted in April and Tua is entering his second year in the NFL as a starter while Martell is technically entering just his third year of eligibility. Weird.
Nine years after 13-year-old Tate Martell committed to Washington University, he’ll find himself donning the red and grey of UNLV next season looking to silence the critics. If you ever watched this kid play in high school, you know he has the talent. I can’t wait to see what Martell can finally do at the next stage this fall.