There might not be a more impressive turnaround in college football than what the Oregon State Beavers are doing, and part of that newfound success has been the arrival of NFL Draft hopeful running back Damien Martinez.
As a freshman in 2022, Martinez racked up the accolades after an impressive season toting the rock for the Beavers. Martinez was named to The Athletic Freshman All-American First Team, College Football News Freshman All-American Third Team, 247 Sports True Freshman All-American, All-Pac-12 First Team, and earned Freshman of the Year in the Pac-12.
Damien Martinez: From Dallas to Corvallis
Martinez played football in Lewisville, Texas, a suburb outside of Dallas. A three-star recruit, Martinez earned All-State and All-District honors in high school at the running back position.
Martinez also earned District Offensive Player of the Year and was named District MVP in 2021. Additionally, Martinez received the Landry Award as a senior, given to the top high school player in North Texas.
Despite these accolades, Martinez wasn’t highly recruited, with offers from Oregon State, the Kansas Jayhawks, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, San Diego State Aztecs, and Texas State Bobcats. Martinez enrolled early at Oregon State and hit the ground running.
Martinez cited his strong relationship with Oregon State’s then-running backs coach, AJ Steward, and head coach Jonathan Smith as a big selling point for his commitment.
“I talk to Coach Steward and Coach Smith all the time. We talk pretty much every day; we just talk like we are friends. We have been pretty close ever since I took my visit over the summer.”
Once Martinez became the full-time starter midway through his freshman season, he began a streak of six-straight 100+ yard performances, tying Steven Jackson’s Oregon State record.
Martinez finished his freshman season with 982 rushing yards on 161 carries and tallied seven touchdowns. Just four games into his sophomore season, Martinez has almost half of his total yards from his sensational freshman year at 432 rushing yards on 57 carries.
Martinez enters Week 5 ranked 10th in college football in rushing yards with fewer carries than all but one of the backs ahead of him. His production has been nothing short of outstanding despite serving in a talented rotation.
MORE: FREE Mock Draft Simulator With Trades
While Martinez is just a sophomore, it’s hard not to believe NFL teams will be interested when he does declare. His production in a heavy under-center, zone-run offense is a standout trait that separates him from so many other running backs in the country, who are mainly productive out of the shotgun and against light boxes.
Regardless of his NFL future, Martinez’s path from unheralded recruit to college sensation is one of the best stories in the sport, and his play helping Oregon State to reach national prominence only adds to the magnitude.
