Martin Nance was a two-sport athlete in high school where he was an all-state track star as a junior as well as playing football. For the football team Nance played both receiver and cornerback where he broke the school single-game interception record with three interceptions. As a junior, Nance was named the teams “most improved player” and “Mr. Consistency” as he helped them to an 11-1 record and a playoff berth. As a senior Nance served as a team captain and led his team to an 11-3 record, losing in the state championship game. He finished the season with 42 receptions for 612 yards as a receiver and six interceptions as a cornerback. After his senior season, Nance wasn’t highly recruited by any major college programs. He accepted a scholarship to Miami (OH) where he sat out the 2001 season as a redshirt. Nance saw some playing time as a reserve receiver his redshirt freshman season, picking up 12 receptions for 189 yards in ten games. The 2003 season was a breakout year for Nance where he earned second team all-conference honors for his performance. He teamed with current Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for 90 receptions, 1329 yards, and 10 touchdowns on the year. Going into his junior season, Martin Nance seemed like a player who could leave college early for the NFL if he continued to play at the same level he had the previous season. Those thoughts ended when Nance tore the ACL in his left during five games into the season. He finished the season with just 25 receptions, 337 yards, 1 touchdown, and a long rehab ahead of him. Nance made a full recovery and returned for his senior season to put up 81 receptions for 1107 yards and 14 touchdowns. He is now back on track and has a chance to be one of the top receiver prospects available for the 2006 NFL draft.

Martin Nance has an excellent combination of size, speed, and athleticism for a receiver. He is tall with long arms and has a good vertical leap, which allows him to go up and get the ball at its highest point. His size makes him an excellent target in the red zone. He is a very physical receiver who will use his body to put himself in better position to catch the ball and he isn’t afraid to make a difficult catch over the middle. He is an above average route runner who possesses good hands and plays the ball well when its in the air. Although he does have good hands most of the time, Nance will lose concentration at times and try to catch the ball with his body rather than his hands. This is something he will need to work on at the next level. He is a good leader and a hard worker who plays hard on every single down. The biggest questions when it comes to Nance are the knee injury that ended his junior season early and the fact that he hasn’t played against the highest level of competition in the MAC. The knee will be checked out but based on his 2005 performance; he seems to have made a full recovery. Martin Nance is a true playmaker who has all the physical tools to develop into an impact player at the professional level. He has a chance to be one of the top receivers selected in the 2006 NFL draft.