wow DB Nikai Martinez has entered the portal.
- Thread starter lawknight
- Start date
Money always talks. Additionally, lax rules on transferring along with the "me first" movement in our society will only help accelerate these moves.
Any highly rated recruit that comes from HS and gets developed into a starter at UCF will look to "move up" monetarily or in status by playing at a more prestigious school. The game has changed and our expectations need to change with it.
UCF has unique attributes which it can use to help it fill out its roster and be competitive. We will win some and we will lose some.
Hope the best for him.
Any highly rated recruit that comes from HS and gets developed into a starter at UCF will look to "move up" monetarily or in status by playing at a more prestigious school. The game has changed and our expectations need to change with it.
UCF has unique attributes which it can use to help it fill out its roster and be competitive. We will win some and we will lose some.
Hope the best for him.
Returning starters who are going to keep their job seldom transfer (a certain C going to Miami being an exception). My bet is this had to do with upcoming playing time.....
You think so? He has been a real shining star for us with two years of eligibility left. I am leaning towards money but I am not privy to anything.
That's the other option...I'm sure we'll watch this one closely since he's another hometown hero.
Could just not feel the program is a fit for him now, defense hasn't been short on talent the last few years despite results. Remember when the consensus that Cam Goode and Jean-Baptiste probably left because they wouldn't get enough playing time.
Change of DCs and transfer portal...
How good of a tackler was he? This is what our defense needs most. I'm not real
happy about the DBs on our current 2025 recruit list that weigh 170.
Lastly DBs are the highest quantity position recruited.
How good of a tackler was he? This is what our defense needs most. I'm not real
happy about the DBs on our current 2025 recruit list that weigh 170.
Lastly DBs are the highest quantity position recruited.
We picked up some quality talent from Cincy in the defensive backfield and 2 of them (both safeties) were the top tacklers in the scrimmage....just sayin'.
Probably a combination of money, coaching, and playing time in that order.
Money
I assume some 'once-time' tampering has been going on for a while. Keep an eye out for y'all's Life Wallet neighbors to the South. They need DBs. Gus won't overpay for a RB, and he sure as heck won't overpay for a safety.
Coaching
UCF changed defensive coordinators after the portal closed and NSD. This is the first portal opening since David Gibbs was shown the door to make room for Ted Roof to take over. Martinez may feel some kind of way playing for AWill.
Playing Time
Roof plays a lot of guys and Martinez's minutes would have declined. He was still pegged to start, though.
It sucks from a political standpoint. Martinez was the poster child for the Hometown Hero theme. Him leaving leaves a bad taste.
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I agree, not only did he conduct his affairs with class, but he is also a “baller.” I wish only the best of life to the young man.
Damn I hate College Athletics these days. He was a good one, still never reached his potential I thought. Maybe the Byron Threats add and potential Fagans transfer? We will be ok either way.
We can only hope this was because he was told he wasn’t #1 on the depth chart. Hometown guy who played pretty well last year and had potential. However, can’t imagine someone else is going to give him significantly more money.
on top of that UCF doesn't even have a full share of revenue yet. We still live on 1/2 or less what most P4 schools get.
He takes a lot of missed tackles with him. Many which led to huge gains at crucial times. He kept diving at ankles and showed no improvement in tackling technique from year one to year two. Maybe this was a factor? Ya think!
Yes the handwriting was on the wall based on how many defensive backs we have recruited, are recruiting and brought in via the transfer portal. Clearly the coaches want to go in a different direction, moving away from some of the weaker links, probably in regard to tackling. Tackling was not a strong suit for Martinez.
You are clueless. Miami doesn’t want him. He is small, slow and misses a lot of tackles. In fact, he led UCF in missed tackles.
Threats and the other UC guy are mid but they probably will do a better job than him…for sure they will tackle better than him.
Martinez was the first Big local Hometown Hero recruit. He was the signature HH recruit. Walker is the crown jewel.
I really liked Nikai, but I had actually floated the idea in a previous/different thread of moving him to corner in the spring. He’s got ball skills, but he’s just pretty undersized to play strong safety in a P5 conference. The safety depth is crazy on this team.
It’s a loss, but not a significant loss that will expose UCF’s lack of depth at the position (like the Tatum Bethune departure a couple of years back for example).
It’s a loss, but not a significant loss that will expose UCF’s lack of depth at the position (like the Tatum Bethune departure a couple of years back for example).
And in related news, not only are we losing Nikia, but also his brother Nikai…..hell, if we lose the 3rd brother Nokia I’m just going to cancel my season tickets cause we are screwed.
We don't recruit over our limit of 85 recruits and not expect that some good ones come in and some good ones choose to walk away...
No need to act like this...
If it was such a big loss then this is what we would see on campus...
No need to act like this...
If it was such a big loss then this is what we would see on campus...
