Once the spring transfer portal window opened up, the Miami Hurricanes football team wasted no time going after coveted Oregon State running back Damien Martinez. All their efforts seemed to pay off as Martinez is headed to The U this fall.
“It's on! 305, it's that time,” Martinez said on his X account.
Martinez was one of the most coveted transfers during the spring cycle of the portal, a four-star ranked as the No. 33 overall player and the No. 2 running back, according to 247Sports. He'll have two years of eligibility remaining.
It was always suspected that Martinez would eventually be making his way out of Corvallis. After all, Beavers head coach Jonathan Smith bolted for Michigan State, as did the rest of the Pac-12 conference members, minus a few going to the Big 12. Oregon State and Washington State were then left as the only surviving members of the Pac-12, leaving little certainty about either school's position in college football.
Head coach Mario Cristobal, known for his recruiting prowess, must have made a strong impression on Martinez early. Initially, the former Beaver running back was said to have four offers, but once Miami (FL) football was in the mix, not much seemed to transpire with any other schools after.
This is a massive get for the Hurricanes football team in 2024, as it could very well be the next piece to propel them atop the ACC conference. Or at least it should.
Will it finally come together for Miami football in 2024?
It's been a rough start for Cristobal since he arrived back at his alma mater. With the Miami football program seeming to finally get serious about winning again, they forked out large amounts of cash just to attain Cristobal's services from Oregon. That obviously put large expectations on a program that already had them, warranted or not. But in two seasons, the Hurricanes have just one winning season, no bowl victories, and are 12-13.
It's not for lack of trying by Cristobal and his staff, however. But there was perhaps a larger rebuild at Miami than most suspected. In the last two seasons, the Hurricanes put together two top-10 classes. But going into the 2024 season, Cristobal may have finally found what Miami has been missing since it started its downward trajectory over two decades ago.
Damien Martinez now makes one of two massive transfer portal additions for Miami football in each window of 2024. The other was former Washington State quarterback, four-star, Cam Ward.
Damien Martinez joins Cam Ward as Miami football's biggest transfers
Hurricanes fans have simply forgotten what stability and production look like at starting quarterback. They have too many times been tricked into believing they had it all to be disappointed in the end. That will still have to prove itself again by showing up on the field when the 2024 season starts, but they could finally have that in Ward. But Ward will only have one year of eligibility remaining, which further emphasizes Martinez's signing.
Ward was an absolutely gigantic piece for Miami, perhaps the biggest in the program's history, depending on the outcome, of course. Martinez feels very similar in significance, as he will be a complementary piece for Ward and the offense, giving it the boost it has been in dire need of the last two seasons. Both guys were some of the best players in the Pac-12 last season, finishing toward the top in their position categories, with Ward top five in completions, touchdowns and passing yards and Martinez top five in attempts and rushing yards.
Martinez also comes in as a huge need for the Hurricanes, as Don Chaney Jr., Henry Parrish, and Tre'Vonte Citizen all exited via the portal, making Mark Fletcher, who is coming off a significant foot injury in the bowl game, the only remaining starting option with valuable experience.
Damien Martinez makes Miami football ACC favorites
It would be a big jump to go from seven wins last season to potentially nine, 10, or more wins in 2024. But it also feels like the Hurricanes have made a big jump in the talent of their roster, while some of the ACC's favorites have gone a little bit in the opposite direction.
Clemson is still talented by traditional recruiting, but head coach Dabo Swinney's refusal to use the transfer portal to benefit his team is proving to set the program back. North Carolina has lost its talented starting quarterback Drake Maye and continues to disappoint each season. Louisville, last year's conference runner-up, is a potential threat but even that remains to be seen. That leaves, of course, rival Florida State.
The Seminoles will be bringing in a top-10 overall recruiting class this season, with another strong finish in the transfer portal rankings that Mike Norvell has been famous for. But can they replicate what they did last season after losing starting quarterback Jordan Travis and a wealth of other starting talent?
Miami is in one of the best positions to succeed that it has been in years, thanks to traditional recruiting and transfer portal additions. Damien Martinez is just one of the Hurricanes' incoming transfers during the spring cycle with Louisville linebacker Jaylin Alderman and Marshall cornerback Dyoni Hill as others.
It's definitely way too early to say The U is back, but if anything, it's doing everything it can to head in that direction.
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