Former Ohio State, Miami quarterback missing UNLV practices

Tate Martell has yet to be cleared to participate in a full UNLV practice. The former Ohio State and Miami quarterback sat in the transfer portal for nearly six months this year before making the decision to transfer him to UNLV.

A former four-star prospect out of Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, he was one of the top quarterback recruits in the 2017 class. Now he is playing for the Rebels, but he is recovering from a hand injury. He has participated in individual drills, but has yet to participate in a full practice.

“He hasn’t told me nothing,” UNLV coach Marcus Arroyo told the media on Thursday. “He’s done a good job in individual [drills], trying to get himself going and it’s been good to see him out there and engaged.”

Tate Martell’s Path to UNLV

A four-star recruit and No. 2 dual-threat quarterback in the 2017 class, Martell had the spotlight on him during his time at Bishop Gorman as the star of the Netflix show QB 1: Behind the Lights.

Martell enrolled at Ohio State in January 2017 and served as a backup behind J.T. Barrett and Dwayne Haskins in his first two seasons in Columbus. When Haskins left Ohio State early for the NFL Draft, Martell declared he would win the quarterback competition despite the Buckeyes bringing in Georgia transfer Justin Fields.

The quarterback made an about-face after Fields transferred in, opting to leave the Buckeyes for Miami. His stint with the Hurricanes did not fair much better as Jarren Williams beat him out for the starting job in 2019. And this past season he opted out but posted a video in January marking his return to football.

In his college career, Martell has played nine career games throwing 24 of 29 for 276 yards and a touchdown.

Status at UNLV

Martell officially joined the UNLV program this summer but has yet to participate in a full practice in fall camp. Arguably one of the most heralded players to ever play for the Rebels, there has been plenty of attention on the No. 57 overall player in the class of 2017.

Still, Arroyo is working to make sure Martell is not the focus of fall camp at UNLV.

“He’s engaged in our culture,” Arroyo said. “It’s not vice-versa. So let’s make sure we make that clear, right? We invite guys into our place. The narrative is the fact that this thing is elevating and escalating and it’s no longer easy to just jump on board and grab things. So he’s been on that and he’s embraced us.”

Martell’s status in the quarterback competition is unknown. Quarterbacks Doug Brumfield and Justin Rogers have gone head-to-head so far this month without much separation. UNLV is set to open the season on Sept. 2 when Eastern Washington visits.