MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Since the weekend, heavy speculation has followed Tate Martell and Austin Kendall, with the transfer quarterbacks reportedly visiting West Virginia as each considers a new destination. Whether that’s fact or there’s just been a rash of Elvis-style QB sightings in Morgantown, one thing is certain: The Mountaineers have good reason to be interested in both players.
Sophomore Jack Allison didn’t exactly sew up next year’s starting job in the Camping World Bowl against Syracuse, going 17-of-35 for 277 yards with no touchdowns and an interception. A breakdown of Allison’s mechanics was part of Neal Brown’s presentation in his interview with West Virginia AD Shane Lyons, so there is clearly work to be done if he is to start next season.
Martell and Kendall are probably closer to being finished products, though for the time they are also the secondary pieces of a quarterback transfer triangle. The first move likely will be made by Alabama’s Jalen Hurts, who is apparently contemplating between Oklahoma, Miami and Maryland as a graduate transfer. Kendall is currently at Oklahoma and exploring other options in the NCAA’s “transfer portal,” while Martell is at Ohio State doing the same.
Here’s a breakdown of each quarterback’s situation and what he brings to the table:
Austin Kendall
Pro-Style
6-2, 219
Home: Waxhaw, N.C.
Years Remaining: 2
Even if he does nothing else in life, Kendall is already the answer to the trivia question “Who was the guy who backed up back-to-back Heisman Trophy winners at Oklahoma?”
Kendall seems poised to achieve well beyond that novelty, though, even if it requires going elsewhere to do it. He graduated early, which means he is eligible to play immediately and has two years remaining. He’s in line to take over as the Sooners starter with Kyler Murray departing, but that would change should Hurts decide to attend Oklahoma.
Kendall has played sporadically in his three years at Oklahoma, as one would expect for a quarterback buried behind Murray and Baker Mayfield. The most action he saw was against Louisiana-Monroe in 2016, when he went 12 of 15 for 108 yards and two touchdowns. Kendall redshirted in 2017.
Kendall isn’t exactly Murray when it comes to running the ball with seven career carries for 21 yards. His skill set is comparable to that of Brandon Silvers, who was Brown’s starter for three years at Troy.
Tate Martell
Dual-Threat
5-11, 210
Home: Las Vegas, Nev.
Years Remaining: 3*
If Martell can manage to complete his Ohio State degree by the end of the summer, he would have three years remaining with the possibility of playing immediately at his new school. If he doesn’t, Martell would have to sit out next season with two years of playing eligibility to come thereafter.
Like Kendall, everything was shaping up for Martell to be the starter after backing up a Heisman candidate this season. Then, an unexpected wrinkle: Justin Fields, a former 5-star recruit, decided to transfer from Georgia to Ohio State. Fields, a sophomore to-be, is expected to receive a waiver from the NCAA to be eligible to play immediately, thus putting Martell on the move.
He is certainly used to change. Martell attended three high schools and committed to Washington and then Texas A&M before finally signing with Ohio State.
As has been the case for scores of players since the first game in college football history, Martell’s most impressive on-field performance came against Rutgers. He was a perfect 10-for-10 for 121 yards and ran eight times for 95 yards in relief of Dwayne Haskins in a 52-3 win over the Scarlet Knights.
Martell has reportedly narrowed his choices down to three old Big East schools: West Virginia, Miami and Louisville. Should Hurts choose Miami, it stands to reason that Martell would go with one of the other two programs — though if he has to sit out a year, it’s possible that Martell and Hurts could both end up with the Hurricanes.