The Detroit Lions are signing wide receiver Tay Martin following his season in the UFL with the Columbus Aviators, per Justin Rogers of Detroit Football Network.
WR Tay Martin - Oklahoma State (6’1, 184 lbs)
Tay Martin finished out the season 7th in receiving yards in the league despite Columbus having the 2nd fewest passing yards per game at 166.8. He played in all 10 games for the Aviators with 5 starts and became the focal point of the passing offense as the season progressed, recording 42 catches on 61 targets for 483 yards and 2 touchdowns, with 3 drops over the season by my count.
Martin proved to be highly elusive over the season, as I attributed 12 missed tackles forced on his receptions, which was among the most over this past season in that category by my tracking. He was 4th in YAC this past UFL season with 212, which fits well with the Detroit Lions offense, which tends to be reliant on YAC.
Martin began his NCAA career with Washington State, where he played in 38 games with 20 starts from 2017 through 2019 and recorded 143 receptions for 1,615 yards and 18 touchdowns.
He finished his collegiate career with Oklahoma State in 2020 and 2021, appearing in 21 games with 13 starts and catching 95 passes for 1,195 yards and 10 touchdowns. His most productive season was in 2022 when he caught 80 passes for 1,046 yards and 10 touchdowns over 13 games.
Martin signed with the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2022, appearing in 2 games in 2022 and 1 in 2023. He spent time with the Tennessee Titans in 2024, where he appeared in 1 game, recording 1 reception for 49 yards. 2025 saw him play in 3 games for the Washington Commanders and catch 2 passes for 23 yards.
Prior to joining the UFL, Martin has played in 12 NFL preseason games, over which he caught 20 passes for 187 yards.