‘He can be a terrific football player’: K-State has high hopes for QB Adrian Martinez
Kansas State football coach Chris Klieman isn’t ready to declare Adrian Martinez as the heir apparent to Skylar Thompson, but he is excited about what the former Nebraska quarterback might add to the Wildcats on offense next season.
“I have watched him over the last few years,” Klieman said during a news conference on Tuesday, “and he is a true dual-threat guy that can run it and throw it. I’m excited for him and I’m excited for us to bring him aboard as part of the K-State family. I think he can be a terrific football player.”
Martinez signed a financial aid agreement with K-State last week and is expected to join the team next semester. He has one year of college eligibility remaining. It will be fascinating to see what he can accomplish in a new uniform.
Fans have been buzzing about the possibility of Martinez joining K-State ever since he placed his name in the NCAA transfer portal following a four-year run at Nebraska. They seem like a good match. Klieman could use a veteran quarterback to replace Thompson next season. Martinez could use a fresh start after never winning more than five games in a season at Nebraska.
He put up impressive numbers with the Huskers, though. Martinez was a four-year starter who played in 39 games. He threw for 8,495 yards and 45 touchdowns while also rushing for 2,288 yards and 35 touchdowns. But he was plagued by turnovers and a sub-standard supporting cast in the Big Ten.
Perhaps a change of scenery will transform him into a winner.
“He was able to come down here and spend some time with Coach (Collin) Klein and I,” Klieman said. “He’s a competitor, really intelligent and really mature.”
Sophomore running back Deuce Vaughn was also impressed with Martinez.
“I got to talk to him just for a little bit whenever he came up for a visit,” Vaughn said. “He seemed like a really cool dude and he’s somebody that I’m excited to have come in and just compete with us.”
The Wildcats expect to return three other scholarship quarterbacks next season in Will Howard, Jaren Lewis and Jake Rubley. Klieman said freshman walk-on Max Marsh has switched positions to safety.
It’s possible one of those three younger quarterbacks could beat Martinez and win the starting job next year. Howard has started 10 games for the Wildcats and helped them beat Nevada this season. Rubley is a former four-star recruit.
Odds seem to favor the newcomer taking over for Thompson, the team’s outgoing starter. But Klieman says his returning quarterbacks will get a look.
“You’re going to have competition no matter what,” Klieman said, “whether it’s within the program or from outside the program and (our returning quarterbacks) have an unbelievable relationship and rapport with Coach Klein. I know Collin brought them in for a visit about that. We are always going to try to add competition and talent to our football team, whether it’s at defensive back or at offensive linemen or at quarterback. I know that’s the position everybody looks at, but, in general, we’re always going to add competition.”
One thing that could make K-State’s quarterback derby interesting during the offseason: Martinez is recovering from shoulder surgery and won’t be fully healthy until summer arrives.
That means he won’t be able to participate in any contact drills or scrimmages during spring practice, if he can throw at all.
How quickly can he adjust to a new offense while nursing an injury? For now, Klieman doesn’t seem concerned.
He only sees upside.
“I don’t know how much he will be cutting it loose in March, but that’s OK,” Klieman said. “Come in and learn the system and learn about our guys and learn our terminology. That allows ourselves to keep getting the three guys that we have here ready to go and continue to progress.”
This story was originally published December 21, 2021 at 3:17 PM with the headline "‘He can be a terrific football player’: K-State has high hopes for QB Adrian Martinez."