Oregon State RB Damien Martinez arrested for suspicion of DUII

Oregon State running back Damien Martinez was arrested on suspicion of DUII, or driving under the influence of intoxicants, Wednesday night in Corvallis.

Martinez, a sophomore with over 1,000 rushing yards to his credit this season, was also noted for “reckless driving and reckless endangerment,” after running a red light, which prompted the police to pull Martinez’s vehicle over, and was also, “cited for being a minor in possession of marijuana,” according to Corvallis police, via a report from OregonLive.com

The incident happened on Northwest 2nd Street and Northwest Van Buren Avenue at around 11:40 p.m. local time on Wednesday night. The police found “freshly burned marijuana,” inside the vehicle.

“Martinez was issued citations and ordered to appear in court at a later date before being released, police said,” via the report. His court date is unknown as of this report.

Martinez is a former three-star recruit out of Lewisville (TX) High School, according to the On3 Industry Rankings, a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services. He was the No. 42 running back in the 2022 class, but has more than proved himself above his initial rankings out of high school.

This season alone, Martinez has compiled 194 rushing attempts for 1,185 yards and nine touchdowns while averaging 6.1 yards per carry.

Oregon State quarterback DJ Uiagalelei set to enter transfer portal

Oregon State quarterback DJ Uiagalelei is set to enter the transfer portal for his final season of eligibility, a source tells On3. 

The former five-star recruit and Clemson starter transferred to the West Coast last winter, finding a new home with the Beavers. The 6-foot-4, 252-pound quarterback meshed with head coach Jonathan Smith’s offensive scheme, throwing for over 2,638 yards this season and leading Oregon State to an 8-4 record. 

But Smith left for the Michigan State head coaching job this past weekend, leaving Uiagalelei surprised and without a head coach. With the Pac-12 ceasing to exist as we know it at the end of this academic year, there is expected to be an exodus of talent at Oregon State and Washington State. 

DJ Uiagalelei is now entering college football’s free agency, taking advantage of his COVID-19 exemption. According to the source, entering the NFL draft is still in consideration, too. His stardom started in high school, but he became a name to watch as a freshman backup for Trevor Lawrence in 2020. Staying on the West Coast will not be a driving factor in his portal recruitment, per a source.

Read more from On3’s Pete Nakos here.