Adrian Martinez put together a really impressive freshman season for Nebraska football and now the Huskers QB is getting hyped as a Heisman candidate.
When looking back at the season of Nebraska football freshman Adrian Martinez, it would be hard not to use the word impressive when describing the Huskers signal caller.
Martinez, who followed head coach Scott Frost to Nebraska, started 11 of 12 games for the Huskers and opened some eyes along the way. Nebraska did end up winning just four games this season, however, Martinez still threw for over 2,600 yards and ran for another 629. He also accounted for 25 touchdowns, 17 through the air and eight on the ground.
While his stats were great, what made Martinez look even better was the way he performed down the stretch. Nebraska won four of its last six games and the only two losses were on the road against Ohio State and Iowa and both were by single digits.
In both of those games, Martinez led Nebraska football to more than 400 yards of total offense. Against Iowa, he engineered a 15-point, fourth-quarter comeback, which tied the game with just a few minutes left.
Adrian Martinez is such a stud. Kid is soooo impressive. Wouldn't be shocked if he won a Heisman there someday.
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) November 23, 2018
Nebraska lost that game but it was a sign of just what the Huskers are capable of. The win over Michigan State was also a nice moment for Martinez. At the very least, it proved the quarterback could lead his team to a win against a team with a winning record and one of the better clubs in the Big Ten in recent years.
Now that the season is over, everyone is looking ahead to 2019 and projecting big things for Martinez. There are a couple of reasons for that. One, he is incredibly talented and should make huge strides; secondly, with Frost, quarterbacks tend to take a big leap in year two, so it will be exciting to see what Martinez can do and how much he will grow.
And while Nebraska fans obviously expect big things, they aren’t alone.
Following the Heisman Trophy ceremony Saturday, which awarded Kyler Murray the Heisman, USA Today released its top 10 candidates for 2019 and Martinez checks in at No. 7.
This also isn’t the first time Martinez has gotten mentioned as a Heisman candidate. Bruce Feldman, a college football analyst for Fox Sports and The Athletic also floated Martinez as a possible winner — someday. He did not specify next season. But still, it’s high praise. His tweet is shown above.
With the season not even technically over, it’s obviously way too early to be talking about this. Yet, Martinez is such an exciting player, it’s hard not to think of what will be in store for him next season