forums

RB Damien Martinez enters the Portal

Advertisement
Someone posted here that the kid ran a 10.37 in HS and I have found out it's an 11.37 and he was down in the 11.8's as a senior once he gained some weight. Just want to express my disappointment to this site for allowing someone to post that because I may have ran with it and told some serious lies all over the place. I can't back track them all.

I'm less high on the kid now... he's still good. Just not elite. The gap from him to Fletcher (when healthy) may not be as large as I assumed with that key piece of information.
 
JayCane20 said:
Someone posted here that the kid ran a 10.37 in HS and I have found out it's an 11.37 and he was down in the 11.8's as a senior once he gained some weight. Just want to express my disappointment to this site for allowing someone to post that because I may have ran with it and told some serious lies all over the place. I can't back track them all.

I'm less high on the kid now... he's still good. Just not elite. The gap from him to Fletcher (when healthy) may not be as large as I assumed with that key piece of information.
Click to expand...

Damien Martinez gives us a Mark Fletcher upgrade that averaged 6.1 ypc.

Look at what Louisville was able to do under Brohm with Guerendo (going to be a very nice NFL back, and should go higher than he will - quick look and he was a 10.51 100m guy...didn't know, but he can fly). Jonathan Brooks at Texas (probably one of the first few RBs to come off the board this year) had a similar car/yds/td/avg profile as a runner. Love the missed tackles and yards after contact numbers from him.

I hate getting caught up on those track times for some players...this guy has produced and plays the kind of RB I assume our staff wants from a RB1. But, you're right, he's not some ELITE back...but a high All-Conference candidate, award seminifinalist, on the NFL radar back. Perhaps not elite, but in college, maybe a tier two or tier three kind of back.

Can't imagine there will be much better on the market (there are some guys out there), but he's pretty good. Also, Oregon State had great coaching and a good culture under Smith...so...hopefully he brings some of that down here.
 
Last edited:
Advertisement
Damien Martinez is 10x the back Fletcher is at this stage of their respective careers.

This isn’t even a debate. His vision is significantly better as well. Look at his highlight tape and the jump cuts / way he hits holes. He’s decisive and processes the game at a very high level. He’s hard to bring down and drags defenders with him.

This is no slap on Fletcher since he was a true frosh last year, it’s more so that Martinez is **** good and should not be discounted simply because he doesn’t run lightning speed. Fletcher would kind of just run at people and say tackle me, and it still worked to an extent…but he’s far from polished.

All jokes aside, he’s the perfect Mario back that will fall forward and be a nightmare to tackle in the 2H of games. He had 6 100+ yard rushing performances last season in a very one dimensional offense…teams were sticking 9 in the box against Oregon St and he still tore teams up. He averaged 6.1 ypc when defenses still knew he was getting the ball…

Now imagine putting him with a legit QB and a very good passing attack…

Save the speed for RB2 like Chris Johnson or someone else that can take advantage of subs and hit an open hole with without thinking. Martinez would be coveted by nearly every major program in America if they had a choice. He’s going to command a large NIL because of it.
 
Last edited:
Josh said:
Please go watch his highlights and then compare it to what we saw last year. Just the vision alone probably wins us 1-2 more games. Pair this kid with Cam and a high flying passing attack and we could legit see a 1k rusher, 1k receiver, and 3500yd+ passer.
Click to expand...
Watching his highlights made me think of what I expected Don Chaney to be at UM before the injuries robbed him of so much.
 
WeBallinBoyz said:
Not really imo.

Off the top of my head, some of the bigger NIL schools have their RB position locked up.

- Ohio St is Gucci
- Texas schools are set
- Alabama has Jam Miller and Haynes
- Auburn has Jaquez Hunter
- OU has the #1 2024 RB and some key returners
- UGA has baby Etienne
- Tennessee has three young RBs that looked decent in the Bowl Game vs. Iowa
- Michigan has Donovan Edwards

Oregon could be a player here. Maybe LSU? Ole Miss? FSU?

It’s not a shoe-in because when money is involved, anything can happen…but we aren’t fighting as many as you would think. Plus, this has been in the works…

He’s a guaranteed RB1, running behind a very good OL and a top 10 (At Worst, more like top 5) QB in football.

Pay him and let’s get the Spring portal started with a bang.
Click to expand...
Didn't baby ET have some problems when he got up to georgia? They might be looking?
 
Advertisement
Regardless of hit 40 time... He's better than anything we had in '23 and would be an upgrade, but real talk Judkins was the best RB in the portal this cycle. Still, I would say that Martinez is a complete back with NFL upside, and he makes the team significantly better in 2024 which is crucial. Certainly good enough to make a run, pun intended, at the playoffs.

Use your eyes and watch the tape, don't go by high school 100 meter times IMO. He doesn't have the burst of a Judkins, you see that on the tape, but he outruns DB's for long gains and he constantly gets the edge so he's fast enough to be a weapon. He also shows very good vision and decisiveness, he runs extremely hard and gets those extra yards, seems to have good hands, and apparently he's a really good teammate that Oregon State is ****ed off to lose. Unlike Judkins he's the opposite of a cancer, they fought hard to try to keep him.

What I see on tape is an every down RB 1 who is good enough to start on a top 10 team. That'll work.
 
MovingZen said:
Didn't baby ET have some problems when he got up to georgia? They might be looking?
Click to expand...
Yes but given recent track records up there, he’ll be perfectly fine for the opener against Clemson.

Plus they don’t need to pay 600k for an RB, they’ve got ample quality depth in the event something unforeseen happens.

Martinez ran for 982 yards as a true freshman, and 1,182 last season. This dude is the truth.
 
JayCane20 said:
Someone posted here that the kid ran a 10.37 in HS and I have found out it's an 11.37 and he was down in the 11.8's as a senior once he gained some weight. Just want to express my disappointment to this site for allowing someone to post that because I may have ran with it and told some serious lies all over the place. I can't back track them all.

I'm less high on the kid now... he's still good. Just not elite. The gap from him to Fletcher (when healthy) may not be as large as I assumed with that key piece of information.
Click to expand...
Right? I saw on here 10.37 at 237lbs and started spouting off to anyone who would listen
 
Advertisement
cway313 said:
Sad Vince Mcmahon GIF by namslam
Click to expand...
You don't see it either right? I don't. I don't see the speed we need at the RB position.
 
BoxingRobes said:
Damien Martinez gives us a Mark Fletcher upgrade that averaged 6.1 ypc.

Look at what Louisville was able to do under Brohm with Guerendo (going to be a very nice NFL back, and should go higher than he will - quick look and he was a 10.51 100m guy...didn't know, but he can fly). Jonathan Brooks at Texas (probably one of the first few RBs to come off the board this year) had a similar car/yds/td/avg profile as a runner. Love the missed tackles and yards after contact numbers from him.

I hate getting caught up on those track times for some players...this guy has produced and plays the kind of RB I assume our staff wants from a RB1. But, you're right, he's not some ELITE back...but a high All-Conference candidate, award seminifinalist, on the NFL radar back. Perhaps not elite, but in college, maybe a tier two or tier three kind of back.

Can't imagine there will be much better on the market (there are some guys out there), but he's pretty good. Also, Oregon State had great coaching and a good culture under Smith...so...hopefully he brings some of that down here.
Click to expand...
Those guys you mentioned run a better 40 than Martinez. To me, Martinez looks like a 4.55+ 40 yard.
 
Advertisement
WeBallinBoyz said:
Damien Martinez is 10x the back Fletcher is at this stage of their respective careers.

This isn’t even a debate. His vision is significantly better as well. Look at his highlight tape and the jump cuts / way he hits holes. He’s decisive and processes the game at a very high level. He’s hard to bring down and drags defenders with him.

This is no slap on Fletcher since he was a true frosh last year, it’s more so that Martinez is **** good and should not be discounted simply because he doesn’t run lightning speed. Fletcher would kind of just run at people and say tackle me, and it still worked to an extent…but he’s far from polished.

All jokes aside, he’s the perfect Mario back that will fall forward and be a nightmare to tackle in the 2H of games. He had 6 100+ yard rushing performances last season in a very one dimensional offense…teams were sticking 9 in the box against Oregon St and he still tore teams up. He averaged 6.1 ypc when defenses still knew he was getting the ball…

Now imagine putting him with a legit QB and a very good passing attack…

Save the speed for RB2 like Chris Johnson or someone else that can take advantage of subs and hit an open hole with without thinking. Martinez would be coveted by nearly every major program in America if they had a choice. He’s going to command a large NIL because of it.
Click to expand...
The local blowers will get mad at you by telling how it is!
 
JayCane20 said:
Someone posted here that the kid ran a 10.37 in HS and I have found out it's an 11.37 and he was down in the 11.8's as a senior once he gained some weight. Just want to express my disappointment to this site for allowing someone to post that because I may have ran with it and told some serious lies all over the place. I can't back track them all.

I'm less high on the kid now... he's still good. Just not elite. The gap from him to Fletcher (when healthy) may not be as large as I assumed with that key piece of information.
Click to expand...
I don't want this new information, I'm still lying.
Cant Hear You Matt Forde GIF by AbsoluteRadio
 
Advertisement
Back
Top