Mark Richt has officially added a very experienced player as part of his extended Class of 2019.
Late last week, it was confirmed that Auburn transfer Asa Martin would be taking an official visit to Miami this past weekend. Martin had stated that the Hurricanes, specifically running backs coach Thomas Brown, reached out to him not long after his Dec. 8 social media announcement that he would be transferring from Auburn.
A week and a half after that announcement, The U had one of their own as the Hurricanes confirmed that the running back has been added to its football roster.
The running back room just added a BEAST!#WelcomeToTheU, @TheAsaMartin_. #Surge19 pic.twitter.com/7HI1tT0Tu7
— Miami Hurricanes Football (@CanesFootball) December 19, 2018
Martin played in five games this season, although the original plan was to play in no more than four so he could take advantage of the new NCAA redshirt rule that would’ve saved him a season of eligibility. However, Martin’s mother alleged that the Auburn coaching staff essentially lost track of how many games in which her son had played.
After sitting out the 2019 season to satisfy NCAA transfer rules, Martin will have three seasons of eligibility he can use beginning with the 2020 season as he moves on to another FBS school. If Martin had been able to take advantage of the new NCAA redshirt rule and remained at Auburn — the participation chart kerfuffle was the impetus for the transfer — he would’ve had four years of eligibility left and could’ve played in 2019.
A four-star member of AU’s 2018 recruiting class, Martin was rated as the No. 9 running back in the country and the No. 6 player at any position in the state of Alabama. In the five games in which he played as a true freshman, Martin ran for 57 yards on 13 carries and added another 36 yards on a pair of receptions.