Top 100 Prospect Cole Martin Earns UCLA Football Offer
One of the top defensive backs in the country has drawn interest from the Bruins.
UCLA football extended a scholarship offer to class of 2023 cornerback Cole Martin on Friday, Martin announced on Twitter. The junior at Basha High School (AZ) in Chandler had an unofficial visit with the Bruins on Aug. 28, watching UCLA take down Hawaii 44-10 at the Rose Bowl.
Martin was already sitting on offers from Alabama, Florida, Notre Dame, Texas, Oregon, Georgia, Stanford, Florida State and Washington. The offer from UCLA was Martin's first since late May and first since the start of his junior season.
In one appearance so far this fall, Martin played in all three phases of the game.
Martin hauled in three catches for 23 receiving yards while racking up 25 kick return yards and 76 punt return yards, good for a total of 124 all-purpose yards. On the defensive side of the ball, where he projects to play at the next level, Martin had four tackles and one pass deflection.
Back in his sophomore season, Martin had two interceptions, two forced fumbles, 12 pass deflections and 39 tackles in 10 games to go along with his 541 total return yards, 10 receiving yards and two rushing yards.
Martin is rated as a four-star recruit by both 247Sports and Rivals. The 247Sports Composite has him pegged as the No. 94 player and the No. 10 cornerback in the class of 2023.
He is the unanimous No. 2 player and No. 1 defensive player in Arizona in his class.
Martin is originally from the Pasadena area and his father, Demetrice, was the defensive backs coach and assistant head coach under Jim Mora at UCLA from 2012 to 2017. The elder Martin is entering his second season as the Colorado defensive backs coach under former UCLA coach Karl Dorrell.
Measuring in at 5-foot-9, 175 pounds, Martin is on the smaller end of the defensive backs with an offer from the Bruins.
The program's only 2023 commit at the moment is cornerback Maliki Crawford, who is 6-foot-3. Uncommitted local corner Rodrick Pleasant is 5-foot-11, and no other 2023 recruit with an offer from coach Chip Kelly and his staff is less than 6 feet tall, regardless of position.
UCLA has just one defensive back commit in its 2022 class – 6-foot-2, three-star safety Croix Stewart.
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