Oliver Martin, Wolverine

Oliver Martin, Wolverine


January 31, 2017

Iowa City (IA) West wide receiver Oliver Martin

Iowa City (IA) West wide receiver Oliver Martin committed to Michigan on Sunday and made it public on Monday night. He chose the Wolverines over offers from Iowa, Michigan State, Notre Dame, and Ohio State, among others.

Martin is 6’1″, 188 lbs. and claims a 4.6 forty. As a senior in 2016, he caught 85 passes for 1,272 yards and 14 touchdowns. He had 73 catches for 1,187 yards and 14 touchdowns as a junior in 2015. He participated in Nike’s The Opening last summer and played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl earlier this month. Iowa named him Gatorade Player of the Year.

RATINGS
ESPN: 4-star, 80 grade, #60 WR
Rivals: 4-star, #35 WR, #206 overall
Scout: 4-star, #30 WR, #216 overall
247 Sports: 4-star, 97 grade, #7 WR, #47 overall

Hit the jump for more.





Martin wasn’t really on Michigan’s radar until after his performance at The Opening last summer. Michigan commits reportedly came away raving about him after he played on Team Hypercool with quarterback Dylan McCaffrey and others, so the coaching staff gave him a look. The Wolverines jumped near the top of his list after he visited for the BBQ at the Big House, but before fall was out, Michigan was concentrating on Nico Collins and only wanted four receivers, making Collins the final piece of the puzzle. Then buzz started picking up for Martin to Notre Dame, but when Michigan seemed to discover they would have room for Martin, they got him to take an official visit last weekend.

Martin is a very good route runner. He does a good job of leveraging coverage, and he makes his routes all look the same when coming off the line. He can high-point the football, and he catches the ball away from his body. He’s a solid runner with the football in his hands, and he has good vision.

Martin is not an explosive athlete, and that’s the biggest knock on him. He won’t run away from a ton of guys in college. He also has just average size, which is a turnoff for some, but I’m not worried about that for a college receiver.

Overall, Martin is a very good college prospect. He reminds me of rising sophomore Kekoa Crawford. Neither has great speed or size, but they’re good route runners who can get open in the slot and make contested catches. They’re both guys who do the little things (route running, blocking, reliable hands) well enough to translate to the college game and play early. Martin should be able to play fairly early in college because of those qualities, and he could work in the slot or outside. I think his skills lend themselves to playing in the slot most.

Michigan now has 27 commitments in the 2017 class, including four receivers (Martin, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Tarik Black, and Brad Hawkins, Jr.). The number generally being floated is 30, so the Wolverines have roughly three more spots left. Hawkins is a player who could also end up on defense if there’s a need at safety.

TTB Rating: 83 (ratings explanation)

6 comments

  1. Comments: 313
    Joined: 8/17/2015
    JC
    Jan 31, 2017 at 11:37 AM

    I think he could be a great college receiver.

    BUT CAN HE PLAY INTERIOR DL?!

    • Comments: 191
      Joined: 8/13/2015
      crazyjoedavola
      Jan 31, 2017 at 1:30 PM

      and moonlight as a LT? I really like this pickup, especially if Grant Perry is done for.

  2. Comments: 4
    ama11
    Feb 01, 2017 at 12:05 PM

    Reminds me of Eric Decker, and not because he’s white. He is strong in contested catches and has good vision and moves after the catch, albeit not fast. Decker became unstoppable at Minnesota and went on to have a successful career in the NFL. This kid could be like that if he continues to develop.

    • Comments: 3844
      Joined: 7/13/2015
      Feb 01, 2017 at 12:39 PM

      That may be so, but I think Decker is like 6’5″.

      • Comments: 4
        ama11
        Feb 02, 2017 at 7:32 AM

        6’3″.

  3. Comments: 6285
    Joined: 8/11/2015
    Lanknows
    Feb 02, 2017 at 1:09 PM

    Martin may end up a fan favorite. Love his fit between DPJ(Terrell) and Collins/Black (Walker). Would love to make it a threesome in the Edwards/Avant/Breaston mold, but the fit isn’t quite as nice. Martin would be the Avant.

    Will be interesting to see if there is anything to the talk of more WR reliance in years to come. Perhaps Michigan is moving to more of a pro-style offense under Hamilton (by that I mean 2017 pro-style, not 1991 pro-style). This makes sense when you have a smart veteran QB and can’t run-block worth a damn.

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