The highest-ranked player in the football transfer portal visits Kentucky

Transfer portal INTEL | Who will be AGGRESSIVE in the portal? Pete Nakos joins JD

There isn't as much going on in the spring window of the transfer portal as in its chaotic December counterpart. Nonetheless, it could be a lucrative windfall for Mark Stoops' Kentucky football team.

Former Oregon State running back Damien Martinez is the most talented player available in the transfer portal according to On3. Kentucky is one of the top schools he is considering.

Martinez announced his intention to enter the transfer portal last week. Today he tells Hayes Fawcett from On3 He will attend five schools, including Kentucky. The Cats will get one of his final visits. The schedule:

Arizona: 17-18 April
Mississippi State: 19-20 April
Tennessee: 21-22 April
Kentucky: 23-24 April
Miami: Aug. 25-27 April

Martinez was one of the best running backs in the Pac-12 a year ago. He ranked third in the league with 1,185 yards rushing and nine touchdowns, helping the Beavers to an 8-4 regular season. With Oregon State left high and dry in conference realignment, head coach Jonathan Smith left for Michigan State, putting Martinez in a precarious position.

Instead of immediately following his coach's lead, Martinez agreed to be the building block of next year's Oregon State team. He was reportedly offered $400,000 in zero compensation, money he is leaving on the table to transfer to another school. What followed was a game of finger-pointing between the Dam Nation NIL collective and Martinez, who claimed he had been lied to throughout the entire process.

Oregon State's loss could be a win for Kentucky.

The Wildcats have consistently produced 1,000-yard backs since 2016. The last player Kentucky brought in through the transfer portal led the SEC in total touchdowns from scrimmage and is now on track to be selected in the NFL Draft. Ray Davis offered a path that was tempting enough Chip Trayanum will transfer from Ohio State this offseason.

The addition of Trayanum and the emergence of Jason Patterson led this insider to believe that Kentucky would not be pursuing any running backs in the transfer portal this spring. When a talent like Martinez becomes an option, it's something to think about. Before his planned trip to Lexington, he has two visits to SEC schools. We will monitor the situation closely until Kentucky can match this impressive running back talent.

Would you like to tell us more about the cats? Join the KSR Club.

KSR has been delivering British sports news in the most ridiculous way possible for almost two decades. Now you can get even more information about the Cats with KSR+. With the transfer portal open for both basketball and football, now is the perfect time to join our online community. Subscribe now for premium articles, in-depth scouting reports, insider information, bonus recruiting coverage and access to KSBoard, our message board with thousands of Kentucky fans around the world. For just $1 you get one month of access. Join the club.