Ohio State football: With Martell eligible, college football free agency is here
It was reported yesterday that former Ohio State football player Tate Martell will be eligible to play for the University of Miami next season.
The NCAA has relaxed the transfer rules to grant immediate eligibility for certain players and the Ohio State football team has benefitted from it. Now former Buckeye quarterback Tate Martell has been ruled eligible to play for the University of Miami next season.
With that being the case I guess college football free agency is here.
The new NCAA rules were designed to grant eligibility to a player if he experienced a hardship at his previous school. It was determined Michigan quarterback Shea Patterson had such a situation last year and it was the same for Justin Fields recently. But what hardship did Martell face?
The governing body was tight-lipped about the decisions made concerning Patterson and Fields, so expect more of the same with Martell’s situation. All we have to go by is what transpired leading up to his transfer and the timeline when certain things occurred.
After looking at the situation, you make up your mind whether or not the former Buckeye quarterback should have been granted a waiver based on hardship.
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Martell had a fine 2018 season backing up Dwayne Haskins, completing 82 percent of his passes for 269 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 128 yards on 22 carries and 2 scores.
With it almost certain Haskins would be moving on to the NFL, it was thought Martell would step right in as the starter next season. Then it was reported Justin Fields may be leaving the University of Georgia and was considering playing for Ohio State.
The fact that Martell might have to compete with Fields for the starting spot didn’t seem to be an issue for him at the time. He had this to say about the situation per Cleveland.com.
"“It doesn’t change anything for me,” Martell said of the idea of Fields or another major quarterback transferring in. “I love my team, my teammates love me. They know I’m a person that’s going to go out there and fight. That’s what I’ve always done, and I have no problem doing it. I’ve been an underdog my whole life and I have no problem going out there and taking the job.”"
On January 4th it was reported Fields would transfer to Ohio State and he enrolled shortly afterwards. On January 16 Martell announced he was transferring to the University of Miami.
What kind of hardship did Martell endure in such a short period of time that enabled him to receive a transfer waiver? Could it possibly be the realization he may be the backup once again?
Next. Buckeyes return to practice field after Spring Break. dark
Will that now be the standard the powers that be in the NCAA use to determine whether or not a player has faced a hardship at his previous school? If so, free agency in college football is here to stay.