Former college football player Tate Martell has been trending recently, but not for his football career, rather because of his sister, Rylee. Rylee Martell has gained a large social media presence, especially on Instagram where she is now considered an influencer. With an IG following of over 100,000 people, as well as a large TikTok following, Rylee is well on her way to becoming a star.
Her content often receives a large response from her followers. She typically shares photos and clips from vacations as well as nuggets from her daily life. However, a specific post had her fan base talking and caught the attention of college football fans.
Tate Martell’s Sister Rylee Martell Posts Photo Hinting at Relationship With Paris Johnson Jr.
POWER COUPLE: Former Ohio State and current Arizona Cardinals OL Paris Johnson Jr. is dating former Ohio State QB Tate Martell's sister, Rylee.
Rylee even had custom pants made with Paris's face on them. How lovely! pic.twitter.com/9FC7n8Aptk
— The Silver Bulletin (@tSilverBulletin) January 7, 2025
Martell shared a photo of her cozying up with Arizona Cardinals offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. At first glance, the photo simply shows two good friends smiling for a picture, but on a closer look, it became quite clear that they are romantically involved.
Rylee wore custom pants that featured Johnson’s face on them. The former All-American was all smiles as he stood proudly with her cuddling up close to him. Johnson is a stellar athlete and the No. 6 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. He played college football with the Ohio State Buckeyes, earning All-Big Ten honors in both of his last two seasons with the team.
Johnson never played alongside Tate Martell, who was with the Buckeyes for two years. For now, it is uncertain if Tate had anything to do with Johnson and Rylee meeting. Tate has also remained silent on their relationship, but then again, he’s been off the radar since he retired from football.
Fans React to Tate Martell’s Sister Rylee’s Relationship With Johnson
Tate Martell officially retired from football in 2022 after an injury-ridden run at UNLV. Prior to his brief stint at UNLV, Martell played for Ohio State and Miami, putting up 137 rushing yards, 303 passing yards and three touchdowns during his college football career. Since his retirement, there’s been little talk about Martell … until now.
From the way fans reacted to the news of Johnson and Rylee’s relationship, one would have thought Tate never retired from football. Rather than focus on Rylee and Johnson, fans found ways to make it about Tate, dropping some rather hilarious comments.
One fan poked fun at Tate, saying, “Closest Tate Martell ever got to making it to the league.”
Closest Tate Martell ever got to making it to the league
— Over The Top Cleveland Fan (@OverTTBF) January 7, 2025
Another fan used the opportunity to jab at Martell’s low touchdown record, saying, “Glad to see she’s scoring better than her brother ever did.”
Glad to see she’s scoring better than her brother ever did
— Dallas (nickname) (@DallasF81534236) January 8, 2025
One fan tweeted, “What insurance company is Tate working for nowadays?” Referencing Martell’s retirement from the sport.
What insurance company is Tate working for nowadays
— Douglas “Double D’s” Duganton (@DDuganington) January 8, 2025