Tag Archive for: Tate Martell

Miami Hurricanes: Tate Martell opts out of 2020 season

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There is another update in the Tate Martell saga. Martell is opting out of the 2020 football season.

Just last week, he was suspended for Miami’s opener against Alabama Birmingham. All indications were that he would be suspended for only that one game.

It’s been an uneventful ride on the field for Martell as a member of the Miami Hurricanes. He has recorded one pass for seven yards and rushed once for three yards against Bethune-Cookman in 2019.

He is currently not on the quarterback depth chart anyway. D’Eriq, King, N’Kosi Perry, and Tyler van Dyke are on the depth chart currently. If this is indeed Martell’s last ride with Miami, there is no doubt that he failed to deliver on the hype.

Hype before the Miami Hurricanes

I remember watching his highlights when he played at Bishop Gorman High School. He was one of the better quarterbacks I had ever seen at that time. He would throw for 2,362 yards and 41 touchdowns as a senior. He also proved his worth on the ground, running for 1,257 yards and 21 touchdowns. he looked like a Division 1 prospect in every sense of the word.

Martell was a dual-threat quarterback first and foremost. He just could not live up to the hype. What’s next for him? One can only guess. However, it would nor be a stretch to say that the Miami Hurricanes are probably not in his future plans.

Whatever the case may be, Martell’s story is all too familiar. A prominent high school prospect cannot handle the fame he has been given, and all of the duties that come with it. I’ll be interested to see where he ends up, and I’m not sure if his football career is over yet.

With the Miami quarterback room now set, it certainly brings more clarity for not only the 2020 season,  but beyond.

Tate Martell ‘s transition to receiver going smoothly

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When Tate Martell did not win the starting quarterback job at the University of Miami after transferring from Ohio State, he didn’t quit, he adjusted.

All the way to the other side of the field.

Martell began working with the wide receivers since Jarren Williams was named the starting quarterback and he has been welcomed with open arms by senior K.J.Osborn and the rest of the receivers.

“We accepted him. It was no nothing. We accepted him.” Osborn said after Wednesday’s practice.

Tate Martell had the advantage of having a strong grasp of the offense due to having to learn the whole scheme during quarterback competition. The knowledge he brought into his new crew not only helped himself, but his teammates improve.

“Like I said when Tate first got here, he’s very smart,” Osborn said. “He’s very smart. And he helps us out in the room. Like, if there’s a question about something, Tate, he’s got the answer. You know, quarterback reads, or line, or anything. He’s very smart coming from the quarterback position.”

The mental part of the transition may be smooth but the physical part wasn’t. He may have thought himself to be a mobile quarterback but even Michael Vick never ran as much as a wide receiver. The pains from practice served as an inadvertent form of initiation to the group, according to Osborn.

“He’s starting to get those wide receiver pains from running so much,” a laughing Osborn joked. “We trying to tell people on the team it’s different at wide receiver, like you run all day.”

Martell made his Hurricanes debut lined up at wideout against Florida. He’s still listed as a backup quarterback in the depth chart but he’ll be worth taking a look at over the course of the season.

 

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Tate Martell working at wide receiver

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First, we find out who was named the starting quarterback, then two players who would have seen significant playing time (CB Nigel Bethel, Jr. is the latest) decide to enter the transfer portal. What’s next, Tate Martell moving to wide receiver? 

Well, yes.

When the Canes’ announced Jarren Williams as the starting quarterback on Monday, the first thought for a lot of fans wasn’t to say congratulations to Williams on winning the battle. It was, “so what does Tate do now?” On the College Football Daily podcast, 247 Director of Scouting Barton Simmons said Martell should give take a shot at wide receiver. 

It seems as though the idea may have been on Martell’s mind as well. 

The New Wide-Out in Town

W.G. Ramirez, a Las Vegas-based sports writer sent out a tweet on Thursday that said Martell “former Gorman QB and three-time national HS champion Tate Martell is expected to try his hand at wide receiver.”  

Nothing was confirmed at that point until yesterday evening when The Athletic columnist and Miami Hurricanes beat writer Manny Navarro sent out a tweet that said: “Have been told by a #UM source today was the first day Tate Martell experimented with playing wide receiver at Miami.” Thursday’s practice was completely closed to media by Miami.

Minutes after the Navarro tweet, Miami Herald columnist Barry Jackson tweeted this, “Martell taking WR snaps in tonight’s scrimmage, am told.” The Canes’ held a scrimmage last night at Hard Rock Stadium (pray for no injuries).

None of us know yet if the move is permanent or if it is just an experiment, but this could be a great move. 

He Looks the Part

Martell has posted some pretty fast 20-yard shuttle times in the past and is very athletic. He has even been seen in the past running routes and catching passes from other quarterbacks. 

I can see Coach Enos drawing up some special packages with Martell playing both quarterback and wide receiver. 

It’s almost like Ryan Tannehill is back again. But not really.

Although, guys seem to have a bit more success switching from quarterback to receiver. Some notable names: Julian Edelman, Antwaan Randle-El, and more recently guys like Josh Cribbs and Terrelle Pryor. Could Tate Martell be next?

In just 7 days on August 24th, Miami opens up its season against the Florida Gators at Camping World Stadium in Orlando. It’s showtime! 

 

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Go Canes!

Miami Hurricanes name Jarren Williams QB1

Is Williams the Best Choice as Canes’ QB1?

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The dust has settled, just a bit. We all know by now that Jarren Williams has won the starting quarterback position for the Canes. He beat out the once thought to be the next big-time quarterback in N’Kosi Perry and the highly anticipated Ohio State transfer Tate Martell.

“We believe we can win with all three guys, however, we feel like Jarren has the greatest upside due to his passing ability, his instincts and his determination.” – Coach Manny Diaz on new Canes QB1, Jarren Williams.

Williams will see his first real action as a college quarterback on August 24th in Orlando against the top ten ranked Florida Gators. That’s a tall order for the redshirt freshman out of Central Gwinnett High School in Georgia.

Coming out of high school, Jarren Williams was a standout quarterback ranked as the 77th overall prospect and #5 Pro-Style Quarterback in the country. He improved every year at the high school level as a passer, culminating in a senior year that saw him throw for over 3,000 yards and 28 touchdowns. He also ran for over 500 yards.

Under the Radar?

So why was it such a surprise to many that he got the nod? Maybe it was all the hype surrounding Tate Martell that made people forget about Williams? Maybe it was some saying that Perry has the most experience and needs to start? Was it the bad taste he left in everyone’s mouth when there were rumors swirling of him wanting to transfer? Either way, make no mistake about it, Jarren Williams, in terms of pure passing ability and skillset, is the best quarterback on this roster. He can make all the throws with precision and is very accurate on the deep ball.

Personally, I believe it was always a two-quarterback race: Williams and Martell. I think Williams ultimately won out because of his accuracy and because he took care of the football a little better than Martell. My conspiracy theory is that people closest to the program may have seen N’Kosi as part of the problem regarding last year’s team. Too many antics on and off the field may have cost him a legitimate shot at QB1. Oh, and don’t count Martell out just yet. I still expect to see him on the field in some role this year.

At the end of the day, the question still remains. Did the Miami Hurricanes make the right decision at QB1? Will we find out in 12 days? Maybe. But when the dust clears and those pads get crackin’ on August 24th, I don’t care who is behind center, just win!

Regarding the backup situation, Coach Manny Diaz said the competition is still going on to see who serves as QB2 behind Williams. Now all that’s left is for Jarren Williams to show them why they chose him as the starter.

3 Things We Want to Know After Tonight’s Canes Scrimmage

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With just 14 days remaining before the Canes head up to Orlando to face Florida, many questions still surround this team’s roster. I break down what I feel are 3 major roster questions we want to be answered by the time tonight’s scrimmage is over with. 

Question #1: The Big Uglies

Let’s start with one of the biggest surprises in camp so far. Offensive lineman Zion Nelson was once thought of as a redshirt project with good skills that would need a few years to develop, especially at a very thin 240 pounds. Fast forward a few months and that 240-pound project is now weighing 290 pounds(reported by Nelson himself) and starting at LEFT TACKLE! Yes, you heard that right, LEFT TACKLE. I said to myself, Coach Barry(Offensive Line Coach) must be challenging his guys and we will see the real starting left tackle after the first scrimmage. But I was wrong. Nelson kept his job as LT1 and it seems as though it may stay that way. That means one of two things to me – this kid is really special – or we are incredibly screwed. 

Two other guys to keep your eye on that could possibly get some playing time if Nelson can’t hold it down: Kai-Leon Herbert and John Campbell. Herbert was getting a lot of first-team reps at right tackle along with Campbell, who ended up starting on the right side during the first scrimmage. Look for one of those two to get the nod August 24th at right tackle. 

Question #2: It’s the Muddy Badger and who?

We all know that Trajan Bandy is the leader in the Canes secondary. Bandy has the opportunity to be one of the best cornerbacks in the ACC. The question is, who will emerge as the other starting cornerback? Al Blades Jr. seems to be the front runner right now to start. He took first-team reps during last week’s scrimmage and has been atop the depth chart for some time now. However, I would not put sophomore DJ Ivey too far behind. Look for today’s scrimmage to be the one that helps solidify that spot. 

The concern what’s behind those three. Young players like Nigel Bethel, Jr., Te’Cory Couch and Christian Williams will have to step up and be ready to play when their name is called. The key to this group being successful is health.

The safeties seem to be shaping up nicely. Yesterday was the first day of practice for USC transfer Bubba Bolden. The addition solidifies what is already looking like a strong group. Right now it looks like the Canes will start with Amari Carter and Gurvan Hall. Don’t be surprised if you see Junior, Derrick Smith get a lot of playing time after moving back to safety from the striker position. I’m tempted to mention Robert Knowles…nevermind.

Question #3: Who’s My Quarterback?

Who will be the Miami Hurricanes starting quarterback? I am just going to get right into it. Offensive Coordinator Dan Enos is installing a brand new offense. None of the three have played in this system before and have all had growing pains. Some days Tate Martell does a few things better than the rest. Another day N’Kosi Perry and Jarren Williams make some really nice throws and Tate can’t hit water if he fell off a boat. All three are doing good things and not so good things. Let’s take one thing off the table right away, experience. Those making the argument that one should get the start over the other because of experience need to stop. None of them have experience! This is a new scheme, that none have played in before. And honestly, why do fans care so much about experience? Let me know how that worked out for Tua and Sunshine. I know these guys are not Tua or Lawrence, but there are plenty of young quarterbacks in college football that help their team win. 

 

3 Canes QB's vying for the starting role.

Who wins the battle at QB? (Left to Right) Jarren Williams, Tate Martell, N’Kosi Perry.

Jarren Williams is the most accurate according to many and throws with great touch. His knock was that he wasn’t very quick on his feet until Coach Manny Diaz said he was one of the guys that ran 20 mph in testing. Can he read and dissect plays quickly? 

N’Kosi Perry can spin it. He has great arm strength, can run and escape the pocket and does like to chuck it down the field. His aggressiveness has also gotten him in some trouble before. He tends to take too many risks and makes dumb throws. Has he learned the playbook? 

Tate Martell is a leader. His leadership and moxie, I think, are what make Martell stand out. He doesn’t throw the prettiest ball but can get it there. In my mind, he is the best runner of the three. His lack of accuracy at times could be a cause for concern. However, his rapport with former Bishop Gorman teammate Brevin Jordan and Buffalo transfer KJ Osborn are definitely a good thing. 

I have a feeling Coach Diaz already knows who his guy is at quarterback. If he doesn’t, he will know tonight. The question is, will he tell the rest of us? 

 

My picks: 

Tackle   

LT- Zion Nelson

RT- John Campbell

Cornerback

Al blades, Jr. or DJ Ivey (They will split reps)

2 Deep Safety

FS- Gurvan Hall, Bubba Bolden

SS- Amari Carter or Derrick Smith (Let’s see how tonight plays out)

Quarterback

1- Tate Martell or Jarren Williams or N’Kosi Perry 

Miami Hurricanes – QB’s in Spotlight as Camp Nears

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The 2019 Miami Hurricanes football team will kick off Fall Camp this Friday, and one group in particular is in the spotlight.

It’s no secret there is open competition in the quarterback room, with three main contenders.

N’Kosi Perry, Tate Martell, and Jarren Williams are the three to watch, each has their own intriguing storyline.

Who Steps up?

There is no clear favorite one month from the regular season, so whoever emerges first may get the call in week one.

Jarren Williams has all the athletic tools and skills you look for at the position.

A top ranked recruit entering college, the 6-foot-2 red shirt freshman should get equal run in camp with his competitors under a new coaching staff.

Williams has great feet and a strong arm with solid fundamentals and footwork, and may be the most well-rounded of the three.

It remains to be seen where he lands on the depth chart, and that could determine his long term future with the program as well.

Incumbent Perry at no Advantage

N’Kosi Perry comes off of a 2018 season where he showed flashes, yet struggled with consistency.

Accuracy was the real problem for Perry as he completed just 50.8% of his attempts (97 out of 191) as a redshirt freshman.

There were a few highs during the season. In his first sustained game action in week three against FIU, he notched a career high 224 yards to go along with three touchdowns.

Perry and the team were riding high after a 5-0 start, but the wheels fell off for the quarterback in the second half.

Miami dropped three straight in ACC play and Perry managed only two touchdown passes in his final six games.

Perry has had some off field concerns as well which have called his maturity into question.

He did have a solid spring so it will be important for him to show continued poise and leadership, along with improved performance if he wants to secure the starting gig.

Martell the Wildcard

Adding competition and complication to the mix is Ohio State transfer Tate Martell, whose journey to Miami is well known.

Martell joined the Hurricanes via the transfer portal, something that sounds like a time machine.

It was suspenseful leading up to his arrival due to his transfer status, with that behind him he must prove he can take control and be the alpha.

One of the most hyped prospects nationally out of high school, Martell spent two years in Columbus but never took hold of the starting job.

His vocal leadership style and intensity are a breath of fresh air for the quarterback group and his teammates alike.

Martell seems like the type of personality that could galvanize a team. He doesn’t possess the same arm talent as Williams or Perry but has great mobility and excels outside of the pocket, traits that may suit him well under new OC Dan Enos.

 

In one of the more wide open quarterback competitions in recent memory, each player brings his own strengths and weaknesses to the table.

On an even playing field, it may come down to intangibles to determine who wins the starting job.

Chemistry and leadership will be a factor.

It should be an interesting battle, and one that could determine the fate of the 2019 Miami Hurricanes.

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