Martin enters the transfer portal

After a week of rumors, rumblings, and pictures of him back in Ann Arbor with his Michigan teammates, Iowa City native Oliver Martin officially entered the NCAA transfer portal on Wednesday afternoon.

That news was confirmed by the Rivals.com Michigan site, TheWolverine.com.

By entering the NCAA transfer portal, Martin can begin to have communication with other schools and he also retains the right to return to Michigan. At this point, it seems unlikely that he would remain in Ann Arbor.

Martin was a four star recruit from Iowa City West High School and elevated his national profile in the spring and summer heading into his senior season. His performance at various events, including Nike’s The Opening, led to several high profile scholarship opportunities and earned him a spot in the US Army All American game.

Eventually he made four official visits to Iowa, Michigan State, Notre Dame, and Michigan. He verbally committed to the Wolverines shortly after his official visit in late January.

After redshirting in his first year at Michigan, Martin caught 11 passes for 125 yards and one touchdown in his redshirt freshman season. He also had one rushing attempt for 11 yards.

Unless he asks for and is granted a waiver by the NCAA, Martin would have to sit out the 2019 season as a transfer and he would have two years of eligibility remaining.

The expectation is that Iowa will be in the running to land Martin, but he could also hear from other schools, including some of the programs that recruited him when he was in high school. One thing fans shouldn’t expect is for Martin to give interviews and updates on where he might be headed. Martin and his family have always been very private when it comes to his recruitment and fans should respect their wishes on that front.