Tag: Oliver Martin

2018 Season Countdown: #44 Oliver Martin

Oliver Martin (image via MLive)

Name: Oliver Martin
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 198 lbs.
High school: Coralville (IA) West
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #2
Last year: I ranked Martin #62 and said he would be a backup slot receiver (LINK). He redshirted.
TTB Rating:  83

Last year I expected Martin to play without being a huge factor on the field, but he was the lone receiver from the 2017 class not to play. Injuries were a part of that. He wasn’t totally healthy throughout the year, and Michigan’s need at slot receiver wasn’t huge.

Hype for Martin has increased this off-season, and he should find a decent chunk of playing time. One piece of evidence is that rumors were floating around that incumbent slot receiver Grant Perry was exploring transfer options. Perry opted to stay and will almost surely play a large role, but he’s hearing footsteps. Furthermore, Michigan lost Maurice Ways, Drake Harris, and Kekoa Crawford since last season, and the only replacement in the 2018 class was Ronnie Bell. Ways and Harris barely played, and Crawford was a disappointment, but there’s still room for someone to take some snaps that were vacated. I don’t expect Martin to be heavily targeted, but I think he’ll be an enticing option for the future and we should get a glimpse of what Michigan will have in store when Perry graduates.

Prediction: Backup slot receiver; 10 catches for 110 yards and 1 TD

2017 Season Countdown: #62 Oliver Martin

Oliver Martin

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Name: Oliver Martin
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 189 lbs.
High school: Iowa City (IA) West
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Martin was a senior in high school. He caught 85 passes for 1,272 yards and 16 touchdowns.
TTB Rating: 83

Martin was a fairly late addition to the 2017 class when he committed in late January. That might be partly because he showed up on their radar relatively late in the process. Michigan hadn’t been in much contact until he attended The Opening, and some of Michigan’s commitments alerted the coaching staff to how much they liked playing with him out at Nike’s headquarters. The staff offered, and he visited shortly afterward, but he still held off on committing for several months.

Going into Martin’s freshman season, it’s hard to see where he’ll fit. I wouldn’t be surprised if he redshirted . . . or if he played a backup role . . . or if he finished second on the team in receptions. He will probably play in the slot, but he has the size and skill to contribute at multiple receiver positions. He’s a decent route runner with good hands, and he can work across the middle. The drawback is that he did not enroll early like some of Michigan’s other freshman receivers. I think Martin will play this season, but his production will be limited by a glut of talented young wideouts.

Prediction: Backup slot receiver

2017 Recruiting Grades: Offense

Donovan Peoples-Jones (image via Rivals)

QUARTERBACK: A-
Commits (1): Dylan McCaffrey
Decommits (0): N/A
Why? McCaffrey was a U.S. Army All-American and there have been whispers that Jim Harbaugh believes McCaffrey is the best high school quarterback prospect he’s seen in a long time, maybe going back to Andrew Luck. So there’s that. McCaffrey has the height, the bloodline, and the athleticism to be a very good quarterback. However, there are questions about his arm strength and mechanics. So while Harbaugh really likes him, I would have preferred someone like Davis Mills, who chose Stanford instead.

Hit the jump for the rest of the offensive grades.

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Oliver Martin, Wolverine

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.

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If I Had My Druthers . . . 2017 National Signing Day Eve

Starkville (MS) Starkville LB Willie Gay (image via Twitter)

Normally I do a position-by-position look when I do these “If I Had My Druthers” posts, but it’s coming down to crunch time and I don’t have the chance. So here’s a quick look at how I prefer the guys on Michigan’s short list:

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