Martel Hight Still Working For Breakout at Wide Receiver

NASHVILLE—Watching Martel Hight run out there with the intention of catching a ball or making an impact on a game at wide receiver always gives the impression that something significant could happen if the ball gets into his hands.

To this point it hasn’t happened all that often, though.

Hight has played 66 offensive snaps relative to his 60 defensive snaps, which appears to be a surprise of sorts considering Vanderbilt’s preseason plan for him and the amount of time he missed in the fall. It’s happening, though.

The Vanderbilt three-way standout had his biggest offensive game of the season while catching four balls for 33 yards in Vanderbilt’s week three win over South Carolina, but has just seven receptions for 64 yards through three games. Perhaps his performance against South Carolina indicated that his workload as a receiver could ramp up, though.

“I’m just playing my game when my name’s called,” Hight said after Vanderbilt’s practice on Tuesday. “I was just needed more in the South Carolina game.”

Martel Hight looks for an expanded role down the stretch. | Hight's Instagram

Regardless of the result, Hight will continue to do the “small things” each week to prepare for whatever role Vanderbilt offensive coordinator Tim Beck–who Lea says called a “masterful game” against South Carolina–places him in.

Hight has played more snaps at receiver than he has at cornerback in two of Vanderbilt’s first three games this season and appears to be open to the idea that he’s more of a swingman than anyone initially anticipated.

“He’s responding really well,” Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea said. “There are times where he’ll go defense, to punt return, to offense and won’t skip a beat. It was great to see him get involved. He could be a real weapon for us offensively. Obviously we feel like we have a number of weapons on offense.”

Beck is notorious for mixing up personnel groups and getting everyone a touch rather than force feeding a star or two, which–paired with Vanderbilt’s offense that can be run heavy at times–could limit Hight’s raw volume of targets. The Vanderbilt three-way player is as big of an articulator of Vanderbilt’s vision as anyone on its roster and doesn’t appear to have all that many selfish bones in him, though.

Hight points out at any given chance that this program’s “mission is winning” and is willing to do what it takes to support that, even if he isn’t taking as many reps at his natural position as he initially may have thought. At points, the matchup may send Hight to cornerback more than he’s been there recently. He’s just along for the ride, though.

While he’s at it, he’ll continue to do the small things.

“Eventually the big plays will come,” Hight said. “The little small catches I have, I’m making the best of them and just trusting coach Beck and his offense.”

Vanderbilt’s offense appears to be drastically more explosive than it was in its first season under Beck and while Hight hasn’t been a factor in making long downfield catches, he appears to be opening some things up for it.

Perhaps his time will come soon.

He’s not forcing it in the meantime, though. For now he’s embracing the ultimate swingman role. He says the right things. He embraces what he needs to do in order to impact winning. He’ll do it all for this Vanderbilt program to become a winner in a way that it wasn’t during his freshman season.

“I’m really proud of how he’s handled the added load, but I think there’s still more for him,” Lea said. “I’m excited to see him continue to expand his role.”