The Seattle Seahawks just drafted former Oregon State running back Damien Martinez. Martinez may have ended his college career with Miami, but he was a staple in Corvallis before his departure. He proved pivotal in the 2022-23 season and 23-24. In 22-23, the Beavers finished with ten wins and a victory in the Las Vegas Bowl. In a lot of ways, he’s a metaphor for the new era of college football. A guy who was born in Texas, played for the Beavers, and finished his career at Miami. Over the final two years of his collegiate career, his stats read 2,107 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns. He’ll probably see limited action as a pro at the beginning of his career, but he could still make an impact for the Seahawks in the long run.
NFL Stock
The first thing to consider is that he got drafted by a team with two solid running backs. Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet are both lethal in their own right. Walker could be a superstar, and Charbonnet offers power in this position.
Martinez might find time on some NFL rosters, but he’ll need to find a niche with the Hawks.
The most obvious way he could get on the field is due to injury, but he could offer a solid option as a third-down back. He only fumbled three times during his college career, and one of those was due to a bad snap. His stout frame should also prove beneficial. He is 6’0 tall and weighs 217 pounds.
Like most rookies, he’ll probably get rocked at some point, but his size should protect him from fumbles and injuries alike.
This is paramount due to the style of the NFL game. Unlike college, one turnover can prove the difference in many professional matchups. Smaller backs often aren’t ready for the physicality of NFL linemen. He could potentially avoid this problem.
Another area where he might prove beneficial is in zone reads. Seattle uses a wide zone blocking scheme, allowing him to use his high IQ. He looked advanced at the collegiate level in his understanding of blocking concepts, which are crucial in the NFL.
Unless you’re Derrick Henry, you can’t just run through everyone. The zone blocking scheme should negate Martinez’s biggest weakness: speed. He ran a 4.51 at the combine.
Back in the Day
Oregon State might be in a different situation now, but that doesn’t mean his contributions have been forgotten. He was a part of 18 wins in his two years with the program, which is phenomenal considering they were in the old Pac-12. These were probably the most successful back-to-back seasons in OSU Football history, and they did it with the run game.
In 2023-24, DJ Uiagalelei was the quarterback for the Beavs. Uiagalelei put up solid stats for OSU, but it felt like he missed every meaningful throw.
That same season, Martinez rushed for 1,185 yards and nine touchdowns. He was the offensive leader and formed a dangerous tandem with power back Deshaun Fenwick. Combined with a dominant offensive line, this duo led Oregon State to eight wins.
The year prior, OSU ranked 29th in the nation in rushing and finished with ten wins. Even though the Beavers mollywhopped Florida in the Las Vegas Bowl, the most notable victory came against Oregon the game prior.
The Beavs were trailing 31-10 with 4:46 left in the third quarter before they ran the ball down the Ducks’ throat for the next 19:46. The Beavers outscored UO 28-3 down the stretch and pulled off a monumental comeback, winning the game 38-34.
Even though Martinez was only a freshman, he led the Beavs with 15 carries for 103 yards and became an OSU legend.
Class Act
In many ways, he’s an example of the new era of student-athletes in college football.
He was born in the South, played in the Pacific Northwest, and ended his career in South Beach.
This would’ve been unheard of twenty years ago, but now it’s the norm. Countless athletes play for three or four schools now. At least he kept it reasonable.
He also didn’t leave primarily for the money; he wanted to win a championship.
He made more at Miami but might have stayed in Corvallis if the Pac-12 hadn’t dissolved.
Damien Martinez is a player who should be celebrated even if he left the Beavs, hopefully he finds a spot in Seattle.
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