Three days after former Georgia quarterback Justin Fields announced his transfer to Ohio State, former four-star QB Tate Martell entered his name into the transfer portal in search off a new program. Martell's search came to an end early Wednesday morning when he announced that he will continue his career at Miami.
Martell, the No. 56 recruit in the nation back in 2017 as a dual-threat signal caller, completed 23-of-28 passes for 269 yards and a touchdown in backup duty this season, his first year active after taking a redshirt for his true freshman season in 2017. After backing up Dwayne Haskins in 2018, Martell expected to step into a starting role next season only to see new coach Ryan Day accept a transfer from Fields, who will reportedly seek a waiver with the NCAA to play immediately rather than sit out the NCAA-mandated year in residence.
Though Martell previously said he would not transfer no matter who the Buckeyes brought in -- stating his confidence in his elite ability, knowledge of the system and ability to win a competition -- his tune changed quickly after the Fields move.
As shown in the graphic, Martell will be reuniting with a couple of his former teammates from Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas: Brevin Jordan and Bubba Bolden. Jordan committed to Miami out of high school, while Bolden just transferred from USC.
Fields, a five-star prospect and the No. 2 player in the Class of 2018, left UGA after seeing Jake Fromm take command of the starting job this season. Moving to OSU has led to the quarterback carousel continuing with Martell heading down to South Florida.
Due to him being an undergraduate seemingly without a waiver-worthy reason, Martell will be forced to sit out the 2019 season per NCAA rules. He will be cleared to play starting in 2020 as a redshirt junior with two years of eligibility remaining, three if he petitions the NCAA for a fifth year.
However, Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports reports that Martell, in a move resembling Fields' transition to Ohio State, is "lawyering up" in an effort to receive immediate eligibility. Specifically, Martell is planning to use the Buckeyes' recent coaching change from Urban Meyer to Ryan Day as the backbone for his waiver. Martell could also expedite his graduation date by this summer, making him immediately eligible for 2019.
Miami is also seeking a graduate transfer from Alabama QB Jalen Hurts, who recently visited UM while also making stops at Maryland and Oklahoma. Hurts has yet to make a decision, but when he does, he will be eligible to play immediately.
The Hurricanes struggled at quarterback in 2018 with Malik Rosier unable to continue his solid play from the year prior. Rosier, who lost his starting job early in the season, completed 52.6 percent of his passes with six touchdowns, eight interceptions and six more scores on 300 rushing yards. N'Kosi Perry, his replacement and the primary starter last season, completed 50.8 percent of his passes for 13 touchdowns and six picks. Perry also dealt with a couple off-field issues over the course of the season.
After ending the season 7-6, Miami saw coach Mark Richt depart the program and retire. Former defensive coordinator Manny Diaz, who briefly left to take the top job at Temple, returned to the Canes as their new coach. Diaz has already injected some life into the program, convincing players seeking transfers to stay in town and hauling in a big transfer of his own in Martell.