Nebraska Football: Oliver Martin could have key impact in 2021

Martin could play a key role for Nebraska football in 2021

There is no doubt that the Nebraska football wide receivers underperformed in 2020. There were flashes of brilliance, but not enough of it came to fruition consistently. However, despite the struggles of the unit, one player did provide some intrigue. Transfer Oliver Martin played well, and he established himself as a dependable player within the offense.

His statistics were not necessarily anything that would earn him All-American honors in 2020. However, he looked more comfortable as the season went on. Towards the end of the season, he really began to find his groove.

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To be quite frank, he didn’t even really get a chance to play until the end of the season. Dealing with the eligibility waiver issues that forced him to miss the first two games of the season, he began to make up for lost time rather quickly in what was a hectic year.

Overall, he recorded five catches for 63 yards. His best game of the season came in his debut against Illinois. In that contest, he caught two passes for 30 yards. He also had a 22-yard catch against Minnesota. Although he did not put up numbers in bunches, he certainly made his presence known on the field.

Heading into 2021, I would expect that could play a role in this offense. He showed just enough to where he provided a little bit of intrigue for the coaches, and made an impact for the offense. What is really going to help him with this wide receiving unit is experience. He is not as fast as some of the other receivers on this roster, but he does know what it takes to play big-time college football.

As Brian Christopherson of 247Sports notes, Martin certainly has what it takes to be a subtle playmaker.

"While I get that it’s easy to be dubious of a player who has transferred a couple times, Martin was able to pop his head above the water amid bizarre circumstances last year. Many coaches saw the potential in him as a recruit, and even as a young college player, and the glimpses of it in 2020 showed that it could still make a difference for Nebraska football if Martin can put together some strong days behind the scenes."

The 2021 season could be his chance to really make a mark for the Nebraska football program. He will have had a year in the offensive system, and a year with this quarterback group. Martin’s experience may be key for success in 2021.

If Nebraska can get strong contributions from a complementary receiver like Martin, that would be awesome. They certainly have weapons at the position to make an impact as it is.