2019 Season Countdown: #40 Oliver Martin
Name: Oliver Martin
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 200 lbs.
High school: Des Moines (IA) West
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #80
Last year: I ranked Martin #44 and said he would be a backup wide receiver with 10 catches for 110 yards and 1 touchdown (LINK). He made 11 receptions for 125 yards and 1 touchdown.
TTB Rating: 83
Hello, you self-loathing bastards who clicked on this article!
Martin transferred to Iowa, in case you didn’t know. But he was here at #40 on the countdown before that rumor finally became true, so I present to you a reason for disappointment.
Martin was indeed a backup wide receiver, and I was only 1 catch and 15 yards off in my prediction for his 2018 stats. He started one game and his career-best performance so far came against Rutgers with 3 catches for 38 yards and 1 touchdown.
After an off-season full of rumors about whether he would stay or go, he finally decided to head home to greener pastures, where he wouldn’t be blocked for playing time by a gaggle of 4-star recruits who are all 6’2″+ and super fast. I had hopes that Martin would have a good career if he stuck around long enough, but he was always unlikely to pass up the likes of Donovan Peoples-Jones, Nico Collins, and Tarik Black.
Now his 2019 season looks like him redshirting for the second time in three years, this time due to NCAA transfer rules. He will probably be pretty good for Iowa in 2020 and 2021, but it seems like an odd choice to transfer right now. He could have pushed to graduate in three years, played this season, and then become immediately eligible in 2020 with two years left to play for the Hawkeyes. Instead, he sits out this year and will only be able to play 3 out of 5 potential seasons, not 4 out of 5.
Martin’s departure hurts Michigan from a depth perspective. Tarik Black has been constantly injured during his two years on campus, leaving Collins and Peoples-Jones as the dependable returners. Otherwise, Michigan is looking at Ronnie Bell, walk-ons (Jake McCurry, Nate Schoenle), and freshmen (Mike Sainristil and others) to hold down the slot/backup receiver spots.
Prediction: Redshirt