Could star Oregon State RB Damien Martinez be an option for Michigan State football?

Jonathan Smith and Michigan State football have a lot of work to do this offseason, so when one of the best running backs in the country enters the transfer portal they should get involved right?

Usually I would say no, MSU’s program really isn’t in a spot quite yet to target the top recruits/transfers in the country.

This transfer is different as it’s Smith’s former player from Oregon State.

Damien Martinez announced on Tuesday that he has entered the transfer portal. He is a sophomore running back from Oregon State who has turned into one of the top running backs in all of college football. Out of high school he was only a three-star and the No. 35 running back in the country, but he has already surpassed all expectations!

Martines had an amazing true freshman season where he ran for 982 yards and seven touchdowns. He then took it up another notch last season as a sophomore, running for 1,185 yards and nine touchdowns. Those 1,185 yards was enough for 24th best in the country. He was also involved in the passing game, catching 11 passes for an additional 126 yards.

Now there is no clear indication yet that is interested in Michigan State, but there’s likely a great chance that he is. First of all, he was recruited by and played for Jonathan Smith for the last two seasons at Oregon State. This also means that he has played with many other Beavers who have already transferred to MSU, including Aidan Chiles. And lastly, he clearly has had a lot of success in Smith’s offense, so why wouldn’t he want to continue that?

I find it it extremely likely Smith will go after Martinez. So the question is if he’ll reciprocate interest or not. I’m guessing we will find out very fast, but this is a huge name that all Spartan fans will want to monitor.