Oliver Martin is about to play football for his third Big Ten squad when he officially signs with the Nebraska football team. On Friday, 247Sports reported the former Iowa Hawkeyes player was transferring to the Huskers.
The news means that Nebraska has reeled in not one, but two former Hawkeyes this summer. Even better news for Scott Frost and company is that they don't have to use a scholarship to add a player with extensive experience in the Big Ten to the roster.
Nebraska does not have any open scholarships left, so Martin is going to be walking on.
He'll have two more years to play.
Nebraska adds veteran
Martin originally signed with the Michigan Wolverines as a four-star prospect out of West Senior high school. He picked Michigan over Notre Dame and plenty of other big-time programs. Interestingly, he wasn't on the Nebraska Cornhuskers radar as a member of the 2017 class, but the way he's played in the Big Ten, even if it was rather sparingly, was enough to get Frost's attention in the last few years.
As a sophomore, Martin played in seven games and notched 11 catches for 125 yards and a touchdown. He also showed some versatility by rushing the ball once, for another 11 yards.
After the 2018 season, he decided he wanted to go back home to Iowa and transferred to the Hawkeyes.
He didn't get to see the field as much as he might have hoped, and he only appeared in three games last year.
If there is one thing the newest member of the Nebraska football team is good at, it's finding the end zone. While he only had five catches in 2019, he still managed to turn one of those receptions into a TD.
He's totaled 16 catches for 153 yards throughout his young career and found the end zone twice.
After the 2018 season, he decided he wanted to return to his home state and transfer to the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Nebraska continues rolling on in recruiting
The Huskers have had an unusual recruiting cycle in 2020, and that includes Iowa's former players. Martin joins one of his former teammates in offensive lineman Ezra Miller. While Miller is expected to add some depth to the team's front, some around the program believe the wide receiver might be able to compete for a starting job.
"Very skilled, technical wideout. Excellent route runner with great hands and ability to make catches in traffic," 247Sports wrote on Martin during his senior year of high school. "Smart and understands how to get open. Very good athlete with good quickness, leaping ability, and body control. Competitive, hard-working kid. At 6-foot-1, 188 pounds, he has good size, but is not as big in comparison to other top outside receivers."
The Big Ten has postponed its 2020 season until at least the spring of 2021. It's possible that extra time could allow Nebraska to get Martin's situation squared away so he can play right away.