Rumors are circulating that Iowa native and current UM WR Oliver Martin is looking to transfer, possibly to the Iowa football team. Let’s clear this up.
Every year something like this happens. Some twitter user who thinks they’re an “insider” with a college football program will tweet out something with little to no backing and it causes an outcry. This time the “inside information” indirectly involves the Iowa football team.
This year it’s about a 2017 4-star recruit and current University of Michigan wide receiver, and North Liberty native Oliver Martin. I won’t bore you with details so here’s the tweet.
Lot of chatter from Ann Arbor that WR Oliver Martin is leaving the Michigan program
— James T. Yoder (@JamesYoder) May 31, 2019
From the sound of it, Mike Sainristil has been outperforming him all spring & summer and Martin would be Michigan’s 5th or 6th option at WR at best
Expect an announcement soon - perhaps Friday
So this begs the question, what is going on in Ann Arbor? Does Oliver Martin want to transfer back and join the Iowa football team? Or, is a twitter guy creating a story to gain publicity?
It’s the latter.
How do I know that James Yoder is a twitter guy?
That’s easy. He’s the self-proclaimed, “King of Michigan Media” and the host of the Michigan Football Report. He has about 4,300 twitter followers and will tweet nonstop about how the aforementioned Michigan Football Report is the most viewed Michigan football show on digital media. I
Let that sink in: “King of Michigan Media”.
Even if he WAS the king of Michigan media he wouldn’t need to say it, others would say it for him. People other than fans would follow him. They don’t.
In fact, he’s so bad that the University of Michigan Football Communications Office issued a press release in January, essentially calling James not credible.
From the press release AND I QUOTE, “He is not a credible source regarding Michigan Football, does not receive a credential to cover the team and would never be provided access as a credentialed journalist.”
If you need more reason to think this guy is a phony, just read this article.
In addition to being arguably the worst Michigan football “fan” according to the Michigan football program, Oliver Martin’s former personal trainer/strength and conditioning coach JC Moreau chimed in on twitter and set the record straight.
He’s starting X WR at Michigan with three yrs left! I’d say it’s going really really well for the guy
— JC Moreau (@TheStrengthU) May 31, 2019
Moreau plainly states “He’s starting X WR at Michigan with three yrs left!”
Oliver Martin is going to be starting at Michigan so why would anyone in their right mind transfer to the Iowa football program if they’re going to be starting at a traditional powerhouse like Michigan?
At the end of the day, this happens every year with college football fans. Even the Iowa football team has its fair share of rumors. Whether it be Kirk Ferentz to the NFL or Oliver Martin transferring from Michigan it’s important to take the things we here on Twitter as what they are.
Rumors.
I had the privilege of playing high school ball with Oliver Martin and I can say one thing is for certain about him, he doesn’t quit. Whether it be the weight room, the football field or the classroom, he never would quit. Transferring because of an alleged lack of playing time doesn’t sound like him.
And why would he? With all due respect, I have and still do adore the Iowa football program with all my heart, but if you where a young receiver with the talent to play at Michigan, wouldn’t you do it? How many Iowa football wide receivers can you name that have even gotten a look by the NFL?
Only a couple in the Ferentz era come to mind. Only 1 of the top 5 receivers in the Kirk Ferentz era even played meaningful minutes in the NFL.
Michigan currently has two, Amara Darboh and Devin Funchess. And while neither has had a remarkable career, if recent memory is any indicator of the success of a programs position groups, Michigans receiving corp is superior to the Iowa football programs.
Do I want Oliver in a black and gold jersey? Of Course, but am I mad at him for staying at a school in which he is the starting x receiver? No.
Again and I feel the need to reiterate this, all of this is PURELY SPECULATION. Will Oliver be transferring to the Iowa football team? Probably not. But don’t forget about Imhir Smith-Marsette and Brandon Smith, because if you do, they just might shock you…