Tennessee Vols should pursue extremely talented running back set to enter the Transfer Portal
The Tennessee Vols have been reportedly been looking great on offense all spring long. Nico Iamaleava looks like the five star he was supposed to be. Their wide receiver room looks absolutely stacked. But the one area where the team hasn't been just gushing about with constant praise so far? Running back.The lone exception might […]
The Tennessee Vols have been reportedly been looking great on offense all spring long. Nico Iamaleava looks like the five star he was supposed to be. Their wide receiver room looks absolutely stacked. But the one area where the team hasn't been just gushing about with constant praise so far? Running back.
The lone exception might be Dylan Sampson, as he's clearly emerged as a vocal leader at practices this spring. Yes, the team also likes the versatility of Cam Seldon and the athleticism of true freshman Peyton Lewis. However, that doesn't mean the Vols don't still have a need at the position given that they just sent both Jaylen Wright and Jabari Small off to the NFL.
The transfer portal is set to open next week and leaks are already spilling over that a few top talents at running back are going to be available. Dallan Hayden from Ohio State was reported to be leaving the Buckeyes for the portal earlier this week. That's one potential target. But the crown jewel of this year's transfer portal may have just been announced today.
According to Jake Hedberg of CBS Sports, Damien Martinez is expected to enter the portal next week. He'll reportedly be turning down $400,000 in NIL from the Beavers (via Pete Thamel of ESPN) in doing so. At 6'0", nearly 240 pounds, Martinez is a monstrous feature back with incredible early career production. The Vols should absolutely be pursuing him if they aren't already.
Martinez racked up over 1000 yards as a true freshman for Oregon State, then one-upped his performance last fall with over 1300 yards from scrimmage for the Beavers. He is one of the most proven every-down running back talents in the country, and many are already expecting he'll be an early round NFL Draft talent in the future.
Just imagine what he could do running through the wide open gaps in the Tennessee run scheme? The damage he could deal in the open field to opposing defenses with his 240-pound frame? Martinez would be an absolute game-changer for the Tennessee offense.
And despite all the rumors, there aren't actually many schools in the country with the NIL collective backing to throw around a half million dollars for their running backs, so the list of potential suitors isn't very long. The Sooners and Longhorns may already both be in the mix given that his hometown sits just three hours from them both in Lewisville, Texas. But both programs already have decent depth in their backfields.
Several other top SEC schools have already made at least one splashy acquisition. Trevor Etienne to Georgia. Logan Diggs to Ole Miss. It's time for Tennessee to go grab a difference maker that could take their offense to the next level.
Having a feature back who can pound the rock up the middle for over six yards per touch would certainly take some pressure off of the young QB Nico Iamaleava and RB Dylan Sampson who may feel the need to be the "everything" back for Tennessee at the moment. Martinez would immediately slide in as the team's red zone running back and give them a powerful weapon to dominate on the ground against top SEC competition.
Be looking for more Transfer Portal and Tennessee Volunteers coverage here at A to Z Sports all year long! Follow me (@FF_TravisM) and A to Z Sports (@AtoZSportsNFL) on X for all the latest football news!
And if you want to check out some Damien Martinez highlights from Oregon State to see what he could bring to Tennessee you can watch this video below!
