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DB Cameron Martinez (transfer to Boston College)

CAMERON MARTINEZ, MITCHELL MELTON AND LEJOND CAVAZOS CAN FOLLOW FORMER UNDER-THE-RADAR BUCKEYES WHO THRIVED AT OHIO STATE

Urban Meyer and Ryan Day took over at Ohio State in strangely similar situations.

Both hires were announced at the tail end of the football season — Meyer in 2011 and Day in 2018 — and they both had to scramble to finalize a recruiting class that has spent the previous 12 months with a lingering cloud of uncertainty hanging overhead.

Meyer closed hard and fast, then turned his attention to his first full recruiting class for the Buckeyes. His staff worked tirelessly over the course of the following year, and the result was one of the most talented and productive recruiting hauls in Ohio State history.

Meyer's first full class in Columbus was highlighted by stars like Joey Bosa, Ezekiel Elliott, Vonn Bell and J.T. Barrett, and the 24-member group ranked second nationally only behind Alabama. Those freshmen developed over the years and helped Ohio State win the first-ever College Football Playoff National Chapmionship.

While top heavy, Meyer's first class also featured several players who flew under the radar on signing day, only to go on and thrive on the field.

Darron Lee is the prime example. The former 3-star athlete came to Ohio State as the No. 636 ranked prospect nationally, but by his sophomore season he was starting on a national-title winning team. He went on to become a first round pick in the NFL draft.

There were others like Lee. Tracy Sprinkle was the lowest-rated player in the class, but he clawed his way up the depth chart and became a contributor in the rotation along the defensive line. Chris Worley was a 3-star athlete who emerged behind Lee, then thrived after his departure as a starting linebacker for the Buckeyes. Then there was Tyquan Lewis, overshadowed by Bosa and Noah Spence, who grew into a consistent pass-rusher who was selected by Indianapolis in the second round of the 2018 NFL draft.

On Wednesday, Day wrapped a bow on his first complete recruiting class at Ohio State. The group is headlined by a trio of 5-stars in wideouts Julian Fleming and Jaxon Smith-Njigba and offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr., but there are a number of players in the class who have a potential similar to Lee who could come in and make a huge impact.

Here are three players to watch as they start their Buckeye careers this fall.


CAMERON MARTINEZ, 4-STAR ATHLETE

You may not consider Martinez an under-the-radar prospect since the spotlight has been shining on him for the last two months.

A verbal pledge to Ohio State who held off on committing during the early signing period, Martinez was the final piece to Day's first full recruiting class. After Kerry Coombs was brought on as defensive coordinator, Martinez reaffirmed his commitment and signed with the Buckeyes.

There was uncertainty about where he'd end up at college in the late stages of his recruitment, and as he enters Ohio State, there's uncertainty about which side of the ball he'll end up. He played quarterback for his Muskegon High School football team in Michigan, piling up 3,382 yards of total offense and 47 touchdowns during his senior season.

But he projects more favorably as a defensive back at the college level, and with Coombs history of churning out defensive backs to the league, Martinez could make a big move in Ohio State's secondary.

Entire article: https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...-under-the-radar-buckeyes-who-thrived-at-ohio
 
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Re: That’s a big deal for the 5-foot-11, 190-pound Martinez, because he’s never played either position he’s learning the playbook for ahead of his arrival on campus. In high school, the Muskegon standout played exclusively at quarterback in order to give his team the best chance to win. At Ohio State, he’ll work with the defensive backs and the wide receivers, and he’ll likely have a chance to return kicks and punts as well. The adjustment is challenging, but it’s all beginning to make sense for Martinez.

Just sayin': There's no doubt hat the guy is definitely an exceptional "athlete"; I just hope he doesn't end up as "jack of a trades and a master of none". The way Ohio State is recruiting he is going to face stiff competition at all three of those areas; WRs, DBs, and STs. Hey, I'm sure that the coaches know more than I do; however, I'm thinking just maybe he should concentrate on the one that he is the best at especially since he primarily was a QB in high school.
 
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CAMERON MARTINEZ, CB
Martinez was recruited to Ohio State as a versatile athlete with the potential to play as a receiver or running back on offense or anywhere in the defensive secondary, but he’s beginning his career with the Buckeyes as a cornerback. Kerry Coombs said in February that he thought that was the best place to start Martinez off, and Martinez said that’s the position he’s been primarily preparing to play as he arrives on campus.

That could potentially change over the course of the next year, as the Buckeyes will likely experiment with Martinez to determine whether he could offer the most value in future seasons. He isn’t likely to see a ton of playing time at cornerback as a freshman, but he could offer immediate value on special teams, where he’s expected to be among the candidates to contribute in the return game.
 
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“I think we have a great group of freshmen,” Coombs said last week. “They’re talented. They don’t know what they don’t know yet, so we’re working on that. They’re learning about the toughness about Ohio State and the culture. I think those kids are going to contribute. This season more than any other, you’re going to have to depend on inexperienced players to step in and fill roles. So we’re working really hard on coaching our depth.”
 
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“I’ll tell you this about Cam Martinez: You can’t sit in a meeting without hearing great things about him right now,” Barnes said. “Whether that’s strength and conditioning, our nutritionist brags about him, our training staff brags about him. Just five minutes ago, I walked out of a special teams meeting where [Parker] Fleming was bragging on how well he’s done in special teams. Cam has really, really put his head down and gone to work since this past season ended. He’s got to be one of the most improved guys so far that we’ve seen. He’s played inside, he’s played outside and he’ll play true safety for us. We’re really just diving into techniques and concepts right now.”
 
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