Damien Martinez, RB, Miami
Size:
Height: 5115
Weight: 217
Arm: 30 ½”
Hand: 9 ½”
Accomplishments:
First-Team All-Pac-12 (2023, 2022) • Doak Walker Award Semifinalist (2023) • Pac-12 Offensive Freshman Of The Year (2022)
“Damien Martinez showcases a blend of speed and power that makes him a nightmare to counter within a front seven.”
Strengths:
Start-stop ability
Leg drive and contact balance
Slippery at 241 pounds
Lateral agility
Consistently finishes runs
Concerns:
Speed to the edges
Utilization as a pass-catcher
Film Analysis:
In his first year as a Hurricane, Damien Martinez rumbled his way to over 1,000 yards, his third straight season over the 1,000-yard plateau. Aligned primarily in pistol behind QB Cam Ward or adjacent to his hip pocket in shotgun, Martinez’s blend of footwork, size, and vision painted the picture of one of the country’s elite ball-carriers. He enters the process still a bit undervalued considering the attention that the Heisman finalist in Ward holstered in 2024, and is a player that projects as an immediate contributor to an NFL rushing attack.
Martinez showcases a blend of speed and power that makes him a nightmare to counter within a front seven. Primarily a zone runner during his time at Oregon State, Martinez did a fine job in adjusting to Miami’s vertical gap scheme this fall, showcasing his ability to tailor and evolve his skillset to whatever blocking surface he finds himself behind.
Inside the tackles, Martinez powers through the mesh point to arrive at the line of scrimmage at full speed. Good vision to hit the smallest of creases and can surprise flowing linebackers with his burst at 241 pounds (Iowa State). Martinez is at his best as a one-cut runner, working north-south quickly. He’s rarely brought down by lone tacklers and is always falling forward if met with multiple bodies.
Despite his body mass, Martinez is shifty and agile in space with excellent make-’em-miss ability in open grass. Has the unique ability to run through, around, or over defenders tasked with lining him up in the open field. Showcases quick twitch near the line of scrimmage to start and stop as well. Not an overly explosive runner (and does not have an elite top gear) but Martinez’s style of play can wear on a defense. Has showcased the requisite burst to threaten the edges but is best living inside and off the shoulder of the offensive tackle.
In space, Martinez is an underutilized pass-catcher. While his route tree remains limited, he showcases the hands and creativity to warrant increased targets. Dynamic in the screen game and has the twitch to separate against linebackers who are less fleet of foot.
Concerns remain about his top-end speed and experience in space. Will not run past opposing secondaries but has enough juice in the tank to outrun less athletic second-level athletes. As previously mentioned, blending his combination of physicality and speed makes it tough for lighter, smaller corners to take him down in the deeper third. In space, it’s not that Martinez carries concerns about his ability to create chunk plays, but I would have liked to have seen a heavier workload and more volume as a route-runner, ultimately diversifying his prospect profile.
Overall, Martinez projects as a potential featured ball-carrier in a pro offense. A physically imposing ball-carrier, Martinez has the traits to succeed in both zone/gap schemes with the vision and creativity to consistently gain chunk plays. While the 2025 RB class has a long list of explosive ball-carriers, there aren’t many that can overwhelm and wear down a front seven with burst and physicality like Martinez can.
Prospect Projection: Day 2 — Winning Starter
Written by: Ryan Fowler
Exposures: Iowa State (2024), Florida State (2024), Louisville (2024), Oregon (2023), UCLA (2023), Washington (2023)
