Tate Martell: Prodigal Son
After disappointing stints at Ohio State and Miami, it's time for Tate to return home.
The recent announcement of Tate Martell's departure from the University of Miami comes as a surprise to no one after barely sniffing the field last year. Many, including Martell, had hoped that he would take the reigns at Miami after the past few seasons have shown how abysmal their quarterback room is. How Martell managed to get buried in the depth chart behind the likes of Jarren Williams and N'Kosi Perry baffles me. It got so bad that Tate Martell even considered switching positions, lining up at WR several times during the season. His suspension for the first game of the 2020 season and subsequent opting out all together leave many questioning the circumstances of his departure.
So what now for the one time top recruit? Many will speculate on which major program he should transfer to amongst the Power 5, but the most logical destination for Martell is where it all began, Las Vegas. The UNLV Rebels would be a natural fit for dynamic, dual threat quarterback Tate Martell; somewhere he can finally showcase the skills he exhibited in high school. Speaking of high school, Martell's own school is just a few miles away, national powerhouse Bishop Gorman. Being able to play in front of your friends and family is extra incentive to make the decision to join UNLV. Not to mention UNLV's games taking place in the Raiders' brand new Allegiant Stadium.
The Rebels are currently in a rebuild after firing head coach, Tate's former coach at Gorman, Tony Sanchez in favor of Oregon Offensive Coordinator Marcus Arroyo. Current Los Angeles Chargers QB Justin Herbert thrived under Arroyo at Oregon, balancing a dangerous RPO system with designed QB runs. This system plays perfectly into Martell's strengths and, even on a crappy rebels team, should give him the playing time necessary to make an appeal to the NFL. An immediate transfer to UNLV should be made by Martell, as most likely the NCAA will not grant him ANOTHER waiver to play immediately. No problem though considering the Mountain West has made no formal announcements yet on whether they will play the 2020 season. The time is right for the Prodigal Son to return home; maybe the most obvious choice for Tate Martell all along has been the one a block from his house.