Ohio State quarterback Tate Martell is exploring the idea of transferring after he entered his name in the NCAA transfer portal this week, and there has already been speculation about where he might end up.
Miami would be one program to watch, for one obvious reason and some that are less obvious. The Hurricanes have seemingly been a quarterback away from title contention for a few years now, and new head coach Manny Diaz surely must think they can do better than N’Kosi Perry. Plus, as Dan Hope of Eleven Warriors notes, two of Martell’s former high school teammates will be at Miami in 2019 after another announced he is transferring there this week.
Of note, two of Tate Martell's former Bishop Gorman HS teammates now play at Miami, including Bubba Bolden, who just announced his transfer to Miami last night. https://t.co/rFi1efHaZo
— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) January 10, 2019
West Virginia has been mentioned as another possible landing spot for Martell, as Mountaineers starting quarterback Will Grier is heading for the NFL Draft.
Eligibility will likely play a big factor in where Martell ends up — both his own and that of Justin Fields. Fields, who is transferring to Ohio State from Georgia, is looking for an eligibility waiver to be able to play right away. If he can’t get it, Martell would be the favorite to start for the Buckeyes.
Martell, who just finished his redshirt freshman season, may have to sit out next year if he transfers. His only real hope would be to somehow obtain a waiver based on Urban Meyer retiring, but that seems unlikely to happen. There have been indications that Miami and another top quarterback who can play right away have mutual interest, but perhaps the Hurricanes could make a huge splash by landing both QBs if Martell is going to sit out 2019 anyway.
