Asa Martin, former Mr. Football & Auburn running back, reportedly in transfer portal

Asa Martin, former Mr. Football & Auburn running back, reportedly in transfer portal

Running back Asa Martin, the former Alabama Mr. Football who briefly played at Auburn, has reportedly entered the NCAA transfer portal after four years at Memphis.

Martin, who won the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s Mr. Football Award at Decatur’s Austin High School in 2017, has one season of eligibility remaining. He rushed for a career-best 435 yards and seven touchdowns and also caught 36 passes this past season at Memphis.

Martin signed with Auburn out of high school and played in five games mostly on special teams as a true freshman in 2018. Then-Auburn coach Gus Malzahn later admitted the Tigers planned to play Martin in only four games that season in order to preserve his redshirt year, but staffers apparently miscounted and played him in five.

Martin then transferred to Miami, but never played for the Hurricanes before heading to Memphis the following summer. He sat out the 2019 season under NCAA transfer rules, then played as part of the Tigers’ running back rotation the last three seasons.

Because the NCAA awarded all Division I athletes an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID pandemic, Martin’s 2020 season does not count against his eligibility. Thus, he has one year remaining at the school of his choosing as a graduate transfer.

In 35 career games at Auburn and Memphis, Martin has rushed for 833 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also has 62 receptions for 603 yards and three scores.