MSU Football's Demetrice Martin Gives Key to West Coast Pipeline
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State cornerbacks coach Demetrice Martin was a key hire for Jonathan Smith's staff. That is par for the course, given how talented a staff Smith has assembled. Martin has a noted track record as a player developer. His prowess on the recruiting trail has stood out as one of the highlights of the 2025 recruiting cycle.
Like the rest of the Spartans staff, Martin has been targeting the eastern United States. His first two cornerback commits, George Mullins and Aydan West, are Florida and Maryland prospects, respectively. The next was California cornerback LaRue Zamorano III, who might be the Spartans' best player in the class so far.
Zamorano is evidence that Martin is maintaining his West Coast connections and can continue to land top talent from the region, despite the geographical disadvantage. Martin told reporters Thursday that changing times have made West Coast talent more approachable for a Midwest school like Michigan State.
"I think it's been very important because the kids will come, like I said, if you get them on campus here that's half the battle," Martin said. "They will travel. The times are different now from back in the day when I was a West Coast kid coming here like, no way you get a West Coast, California kid. That's not true [anymore]."
Martin himself is a Californian, having come to East Lansing to play for legendary Spartans coach George Perles and the debut season of Nick Saban. Martin's California heritage has allowed him to connect with recruits from that talent-filled state like Zamorano.
Zamorano's parents have gone so far as to call Martin a family-like figure. Zamorano himself told me that the coach and his father developed a close bond over their California roots.
"I feel comfortable handing my little nest [off] ... to get him to where he needs to go next. And his relationship with Coach [Martin] is like, I don't even got to worry about it," Zamorano's father, also named LaRue, said.
Zamorano himself was just as enthusiastic about his relationship to Martin.
"He had his eyes on me [when I was] in eighth grade," Zamorano said. "So when he got the chance to take a shot at me in the ninth grade, he pulled the trigger. Coach [Martin], he's like an uncle to me, I look up to him. I can't wait to do our thing at Michigan State."
Michael France is Sports Illustrated's Michigan State recruiting beat writer, covering all things Big Ten recruiting for Spartan Nation. Be sure to follow him on Twitter/X@michaelfrancesi for exclusive Spartans recruiting coverage.
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MICHAEL FRANCE