Ole Miss Rebels Named Potential Suitor For Transfer Portal RB Damien Martinez

Could the Ole Miss Rebels be in the market for one of the best running backs in college football?

OXFORD, Miss. – The Ole Miss Rebels ransacked the NCAA Transfer Portal at the start of the offseason, but there is a chance that the ‘Portal King’ is not quite finished adding to his elite roster.

The Rebels have managed to bolster just about every position on the team this offseason – the only significant loss has been the departure of running back Quinshon Judkins. Losing one of the best tailbacks in the nation hurts, but the Rebels have a committee of running backs ready to replicate Judkins’ production.

Lane Kiffin added former LSU Tigers tailback Logan Diggs via the portal, and Ulysses Bentley IV appears ready to take over as RB1 after averaging 5.7 yards per carry behind Judkins in 2023. Former four-star prospect Kedrick Reescano will also likely be more involved, but he is a bit of an anomaly as he did not record a single snap as a true freshman in 2023.

Add in the fact that Diggs may not be 100 percent healthy by Week 1, and the depth at running back gets rather slim for the Rebels. So why not go out and grab the best guy available when the portal reopens on Tuesday, April 16?

Former Oregon State Beavers running back Damien Martinez revealed on Tuesday that he plans to enter the portal and would immediately become one of the best transfers on the market, per On3. 247Sports recently compiled a list of five programs that are possible destinations for the elite tailback, and Ole Miss made the cut.

“Lane Kiffin isn't panicking considering he signed the No. 1 transfer class in December and added to that group since, but watching Judkins leave for Ohio State in January was undoubtedly a significant blow given his production through his first couple seasons in Oxford,” 247Sports writes. “He's not a five-star transfer for nothing. Being able to land Martinez would mean the Rebels get near equal production and a player who can make plays in the passing game, too.

“[Martinez] would strengthen a roster that's already the most talented in program history for a team that should be ranked inside the preseason top 10, unanimously.”

From 2022-23 at Oregon State, Martinez rushed for 2,167 yards and 16 touchdowns on 355 carries, while also reeling in 187 receiving yards on 15 receptions.

Here is a snippet from 247Sports’ scouting report on Martinez.

“[Martinez has] an elite blend of size, speed, cutting ability, and toughness,” 247Sports writes. “He shows impressive maturity for a young runner with his patience at the line of scrimmage and then an explosive burst once he sees daylight. Martinez has been an All-Conference player in his two seasons in Corvallis and has the ability to be a high-round draft choice.”