Miami quarterback Tate Martell lost the preseason quarterback battle to Jarren Williams earlier this week, and now the Ohio State transfer could be on the move again ... just not to another school. Martell was given the chance to move to wide receiver during Friday's practice, according to a report from the Miami Herald. It is unclear whether Martell actually accepted the offer from the Hurricanes coaching staff.
Martell was a four-star prospect and the No. 56 overall player in the class of 2017. After redshirting during his first season in Columbus, Martell served as Dwayne Haskins' backup and contributed as a change-of-pace quarterback for the Big Ten champion Buckeyes. He finished the season with 269 passing yards and one touchdown, as well as 128 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Martell enrolled at Miami this spring and was one of the top stories of the offseason. The redshirt sophomore left Ohio State shortly after former five-star prospect Justin Fields announced his transfer from Georgia to the Buckeyes. An undergraduate, Martell applied and received a waiver to be immediately eligible at Miami.
The circumstances surrounding his transfer suggested that he might be the front-runner for the starting job at quarterback ahead of Williams and incumbent N'Kosi Perry. That never materialized, and Martell was relegated to battling with Perry for the second spot on the depth chart.
The 5-foot-11, 205-pounder out of Bishop-Gorman High School in Las Vegas has the athleticism to make an impact in the slot for the Hurricanes. The question then becomes, how much can he contribute if he does make the switch from quarterback? Junior Jeff Thomas, Buffalo transfer K.J. Osborn and junior Mike Harley all are expected to be key contributors outside, and all three are speedsters who are dangerous in space. Could Martell crack the starting rotation? It'd be difficult to accomplish this late in fall camp.
Miami opens the 2019 season on Aug. 24 at 7 p.m. in Orlando against the Florida Gators.
