ROSE BOWL BOUND
Ohio State demolishes Tennessee, 42-17, and advances to the Rose Bowl to face top-seeded Oregon.
After four seasons in Ohio State's secondary, safety Cameron Martinez is looking for a new opportunity.
Martinez announced Thursday he intends to enter his name into the transfer portal with this cycle's first transfer window opening on Monday.
Ill be entering the portal when the window opens. https://t.co/fD7reuShCt
— Cameron Martinez (@C_Mart1k) November 30, 2023
A redshirt junior this season, Martinez will have two years of eligibility remaining at his next stop thanks to a COVID-19 waiver from 2020.
Despite logging just two career starts in the Buckeyes' defensive backfield, Martinez found a rotational role in both 2021 and 2022 for the squad. He had a combined 36 tackles with an interception returned for a touchdown and four pass breakups combined across the two seasons. He played primarily as a nickel safety.
In 2023, his role off the bench has been diminished as Ohio State rolled with a combination of Sonny Styles and Jordan Hancock at nickel. Martinez also missed some time with injury; all told he only found rare use in dime packages or backup duty for the Buckeyes. He played a mere 28 snaps on the season with all but six of them coming in the team's first three games. He saw action in four games in total and finished the regular season with just two tackles.
A four-star athlete ranked 323rd overall in the 247Sports composite out of high school, Martinez told Rivals’ Jeremy Birmingham that he's open to playing on either side of the football at his next destination. A standout quarterback during his prep days in Muskegon, Michigan, where he was a two-time Michigan High School Player of the Year, Martinez was recruited to play wide receiver by some schools.
Martinez becomes the second Ohio State player since the end of the regular season to announce he will enter the transfer portal, joining defensive end Omari Abor.
