Miami (FL) running back Damien Martinez was only in college for three years, but he made a big impact in a short amount of time.
With 2,982 career rushing yards and 25 total touchdowns, Martinez was a reliable back between his stints with Oregon State and the Hurricanes. Now, he looks to carry his high level of production on to the NFL level.
Damien Martinez Draft Profile and Measurements
- Height: 6’0″
- Weight: 232 pounds
- Position: Running Back
- School: Miami (FL)
- Current Year: Junior
Scouting Report
Coming out of high school, Martinez was a three-star recruit from Lewisville High School in Texas. He finished his high school career with 4,341 rushing yards and 66 touchdowns, earning All-State recognition in the process. He committed to Oregon State in April 2021.
Oregon State slowly brought Martinez into the fold as a true freshman in 2022, but he took over the starting running back job later in the year. He exploded with 982 rushing yards and seven touchdowns while averaging 6.1 yards per carry on 161 attempts. He closed out his regular season with six consecutive 100-yard games, earning Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year and first-team All-Pac-12 recognition for his play.
Martinez stepped into the undisputed starting running back role for the Beavers in 2023, and he lived up to expectations. He retained his average of 6.1 yards per carry, this time rushing for 1,185 yards and nine touchdowns on 194 carries. He also caught 11 passes for 126 yards and earned yet another first-team All-Pac-12 nod. As the Pac-12 began dissolving, he opted to enter the transfer portal after the season.
Because of his play at Oregon State, Martinez had built some NFL buzz heading into the 2024 season. Making the jump to Miami, though, he still had something to prove as a junior. Though he didn’t earn All-Conference recognition, he still put up 1,002 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on 5.7 yards per carry. He declared for the 2025 NFL Draft but still played in the Pop-Tarts Bowl, rushing for 179 yards and a touchdown in his final collegiate game.
Strengths
- Will be only 21 years old in his rookie season.
- Big-bodied running back with a massive frame that gives him a physical advantage over the opposition.
- Production at the collegiate level speaks for itself.
- Tough runner who fights hard for extra yardage, keeping his legs churning and working through contact to extend the play.
- Isn’t afraid to lower the shoulder and get physical with defenders, who are often smaller than he is.
- Smart processor out of the backfield who varies his tempo well behind his offensive line to discover open running lanes.
- Size-adjusted speed is quite good, and he has the short-area quickness to explode through open running lanes once he identifies them.
- Capable of making high-hipped defenders miss with his footwork as a runner.
- Quick processor on zone runs, as he’s comfortable letting the blocks play out while knowing the right move to make with the ball in his hands.
Weaknesses
- Was never relied upon heavily as a receiver in college.
- Showed improvement as a pass protector in 2024 but still not as reliable as one would hope for a back of his size due to poor technique.
- Arrested in Nov. 2023 for DUI suspicion.
- Has an upright style of running, and while he’s big and strong enough to fight through contact, he could face more issues with proper-form tacklers at the next level.
- Doesn’t have elite breakaway speed, as he’s quicker in a vacuum than he is fast out in the open field.
- Lateral quickness is pretty pedestrian, which could make it even tougher for him to evade would-be tacklers in a faster NFL game.
- Juice as a receiver out of the backfield isn’t anything to write home about, limiting his YAC potential.
- Oregon State offenses ran much heavier emphasis on zone than gap, so he’ll need to establish himself a little bit more in gap situations.
Current Draft Projection and Summary
You can picture the type of running back Martinez is just by looking at his listed size, and your assumptions would probably be pretty accurate from there.
A certified bruiser at running back, Martinez uses his size and strength in a manner that makes him one of the best power backs in the 2025 NFL Draft. Just being bigger than most running backs gives him an upper hand to begin with, but he’s a tough runner who keeps his legs churning through contact and isn’t afraid to lower the shoulder to stay upright.
There are limitations in Martinez’s game, with his athleticism for the position and his passing-down value standing out as culprits. Judging by a lack of significant top speed and shiftiness in space, he could ultimately profile as a two-down back in the league, which hurts his draft stock somewhat.
Martinez is a strong, determined runner who processes well in between the tackles, and his tape and production should get him drafted in April. He seems like an early-Round 6, late-Round 5 target who could serve as a respectable short-yardage backup quickly in the league.
