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Football
RB Martin Expected to Move On
By Brandon Castel

CHICAGO — It’s officially ‘Fall Camp Eve’ in Columbus as Ohio State get set to open the 2010 season with player check-ins tomorrow and practice beginning on Friday.

The Buckeyes should have the majority of their team back from spring practice, along with a number of new freshmen when they report at noon Thursday, but tailback Jermil Martin is not expected to be among the group.

Jermil Martin
Photo by Jim Davidson

“I think he intends to move along, but he's still trying to finish academically so he can do that,” Tressel said Tuesday at the Big Ten Media Kickoff Luncheon in Chicago.

The redshirt sophomore out of Cleveland Glenville has not been practicing with the team for academic reasons, and would likely find himself buried on the depth chart this fall if he opted to return to the Buckeyes after finishing his summer-school obligations and restoring his academic eligibility.

“Jermil's a little bit caught in between being a fullback and a tailback, and we've got a pretty good group both places,” Tressel said of the 5-foot-10, 235-pound back who initially came to the Buckeyes as a fullback in the class of 2008.

“So that makes it a little bit more difficult.”

The Buckeyes return their top three fullbacks from a year ago in Zach Boren, Adam Homan and James Georgiades. They also return their top three rushers amongst tailbacks, including senior Brandon Saine (739 yards, 4 TDs), junior Boom Herron (600 yards, 7 TDs) and sophomore Jordan Hall (248 yards, 1 TD).

Martin was right behind that group as the team’s fourth-leading rusher amongst tailbacks last year, but he played in just three games and carried the ball only 11 times all season. Seven of those carries came against Minnesota when he showed some promise as a tough runner by racking up 75 yards on the ground in mop-duty, including an impressive 39-yard touchdown run.

But Martin carried the ball only three more times the rest of the year and did not play in the final four games of the year. He found himself behind redshirt freshman Jaamal Berry in the spring and was going to have a hard time establishing himself as the team’s power back now that they added Carlos Hyde (6-0, 238) in the spring and Rod Smith (6-3, 220), who is expected to join the team Thursday if he has all his academic affairs in order.

For that reason, Martin would leave Ohio State with Tressel’s blessing if he is doing so in search of an opportunity to play somewhere else.

“Oh absolutely. Absolutely. It's real. I always ask guys this, 'Only you can assign the importance of things. What's most important to you:  being at Ohio State and graduating from Ohio State, or having a chance a play?' Neither is bad. I understand,” Tressel said.

“I remember when Ricky Bryant went to Hofstra because they threw the ball all over the place, and he thought maybe he could make The League if he caught 80 balls, so he probably wasn't going to play enough with us to catch 80 balls. And I understand.”

Assuming Martin follows through on the decision to leave the program, he would be the fourth player to transfer from Ohio State since the end of last season. Wideout Lamaar Thomas got things started when he announced a transfer to New Mexico. He was followed out the door by fellow receiver Duron Carter and defensive end Keith Wells, both of whom left the university for academic reasons. Carter and Wells ended up at Community Colleges in Kansas and both have indicated an interest in returning to Ohio State.

There was also a rumor this week that tight end Nic DiLillo might not be with the team when they start camp this week. According to a university spokesperson, DiLillo is “still with the team” as of today.

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