Huskers land Rivals250 QB Martinez
The first offer Scott Frost made after he officially accepted the head coaching position at Nebraska was to Rivals250 quarterback Adrian Martinez. Less than two weeks later the new Huskers head man secured Martinez's commitment.
The 6-foot-3, 198-pound dual-threat quarterback was arguably the top priority for Frost as he will transition his No. 1 ranked offense from UCF to Nebraska. Following his official visit to Lincoln last weekend, Martinez said he felt as if he would be a perfect fit in the system.
“I believe I’m a perfect fit for the system that they run,” Martinez said. “I have the ability to run with my legs and I can use my athleticism, but also throw the ball. I think that both of those things are vital in this type of offense. I think that’s one of the big reasons why they’re recruiting me is because I fit into their system so well.”
Martinez had been committed to Tennessee, but the coaching change in Knoxville opened the door for Nebraska. Once the Huskers offered, the talented quarterback established a quick relationship with Frost and quarterbacks coach Mario Verduzco.
Spending time with the two NU coaches was among the highlights of his official visit last weekend.
“I think the coolest thing was being able to spend good time with Coach Frost and Coach Verduzco and just getting to know them better on a personal level,” Martinez said about his Nebraska official visit. "I’d say that Coach Frost is a really down to earth guy. He doesn’t act like he just won the Coach of the Year, if that makes sense. He’s super humble and he just really has a good way of getting his point across in a genuine way.
“I really felt that Coach Verdu is passionate about what he does and it’s easy to buy-in to their message. I really have confidence that they are going to turn that ship around.”
Frost and his staff took UCF from a 0-12 team two years ago and turned them into a 12-0 squad this year with the top offense in the nation. According to Martinez, Frost's message to him was essentially that they plan to do the same thing in Lincoln and they need a quarterback like him to help them do it.
"They want to transition (Nebraska) into the fast team that they are (at UCF) and really transform Nebraska’s offense into the No. 1 offense in the country," Martinez said. "Kind of like what they did at UCF. That’s pretty much their message, they’re going to bring that system – one that’s proven to be successful – and when you pair that with a powerhouse like Nebraska that turnaround is something that can definitely happen."
The talented quarterback hosted Tennessee for an in-home visit Monday night then Frost and Nebraska made their way to Fresno from Orlando where they began preparations for the Peach Bowl earlier in the day.
The decision came down to sticking with the Vols or going with the Huskers and after evaluating each situation Martinez announced he would be signing with Nebraska on December 20 and would be an early enrollee.
Nebraska now has 11 commitments in its 2018 recruiting class. Martinez was unable to play his senior season due to a torn labrum. As a junior, he completed 220 of 366 attempts for 2,562 yards and 25 touchdowns to only four interceptions. He also rushed for 1,462 yards and 14 scores on 182 carries.
