MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia’s entry in the Tate Martell sweepstakes was a brief one.
Late Tuesday night, the Ohio State quarterback announced on Twitter that he will be transferring to Miami. Martell visited Miami after reportedly checking out WVU on Sunday.
right back like we never left…
I’M A HURRICANE! 🙌🏼🌴 pic.twitter.com/6Dh0gu4fxD
— Tate Martell (@TheTateMartell) January 16, 2019
For a prospect who grew up near San Diego before moving to Las Vegas for high school, visiting Morgantown on the day after a heavy snowfall was likely a tough sell against the coastal glitz of Miami. On top of that, Martell will be reuniting with a high school teammate, tight end Brevin Jordan.
Martell entered his name in the NCAA transfer portal at Ohio State last month upon the arrival of Georgia transfer Justin Fields.
With Martell’s decision made, Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts seems poised to choose between Oklahoma and Maryland as his next destination. Should he choose OU, that would open the door for Austin Kendall to leave the Sooners. Kendall, who also entered the NCAA transfer portal, has visited Auburn and is believed to have interest in West Virginia as well. Kendall has two remaining years of eligibility and would be a graduate transfer.
Whether or not the Mountaineers add Kendall, the team is in need of a third quarterback. Rising junior Jack Allison and redshirt freshman Trey Lowe are the only scholarship quarterbacks on the roster.