Josiah Martin has already performed on the Energy 4 stage, besides, he is aware of he’s climbing to the next rank at Oklahoma.
Martin, a switch huge receiver who performed at Cal in 2024, is certainly one of a number of new wideouts for the Sooners.
Initially from the Dallas-Fort Value space, Martin is way nearer to residence in Norman than he was in Berkeley. Extra importantly to him, although, is his new program’s monitor document.
“I entered the portal simply on the lookout for an even bigger alternative,” Martin mentioned. “I wished to point out my expertise on the next stage. Oklahoma, it’s the winningest program in school soccer historical past. It’s a no brainer. I do know the sort of issues they will help me with.”
Martin was a consensus 3-star prospect in highschool, compiling 920 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior at Guyer Excessive Faculty in Denton. He selected to start his school profession at Cal, regardless of holding provides from main applications like Alabama, Oregon, Ole Miss and Penn State.
As a real freshman in 2024, Martin performed in seven video games for the Golden Bears, catching 12 passes for 112 yards. Martin scored his first school landing — a 29-yard speeding landing — in Cal’s 24-13 LA Bowl loss to UNLV on Dec. 18.
Martin performed highschool soccer with Sooners defensive again Peyton Bowen, who graduated from Guyer in 2023. With two years of expertise at OU below his belt, Bowen has mentored Martin throughout his first few months.
“(He’s) ensuring that I do know the ropes and what to not do,” Martin mentioned.
Martin joins an aerial assault that appears to be significantly better than it was in 2024.
The Sooners positioned 119th out of 134 groups that compete on the NCAA Division I stage in passing offense, averaging 175.8 passing yards per sport. Oklahoma didn’t have a participant with greater than 350 receiving yards, as tight finish Bauer Sharp — now at LSU — led the Sooners with 324.
Martin is only a piece within the Sooners’ efforts to repair their inconsistencies within the air.
Oklahoma employed former Washington State offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle to the identical function in December and likewise picked up Cougars quarterback John Mateer from the switch portal.
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Martin is certainly one of 5 huge receivers that OU signed from the portal, together with Isaiah Sategna (Arkansas), Keontez Lewis (Southern Illinois) and Javonnie Gibson (Arkansas-Pine Bluff). The Sooners’ solely returning wideouts who logged greater than 100 yards in 2024 are Deion Burks, Jacob Jordan and Zion Kearney.
Along with Bowen’s steerage, all of Martin’s offensive coaches and teammates have been useful to his progress in OU’s system.
“All of (the receivers) got here collectively and introduced me in, embraced me,” Martin mentioned. “It’s been actually clean. I’ve had all people sort of assist me and attempt to make me higher than who I used to be coming in.
“Coach Arbuckle’s the simplest individual to get together with. He believes in having enjoyable with it, so long as you’re getting it accomplished. (Mateer) walks in with the boldness, not the cockiness, that makes you need to be round that man.”
With so many new faces, it’s exhausting to foretell precisely what Oklahoma’s offense will seem like in 2025 — however Martin is aware of that he is usually a main contributor in it.
He checked out spring ball as a chance to show that.
“I need to get higher daily,” Martin mentioned. “I need to have the ability to noticeably see a distinction initially of the spring vs the tip of the spring. Do all the pieces on a excessive stage.”