Returning to Texas to Finish Career, Martin Says UW 'Exceeded My Wishes by Miles'

The Husky edge rusher really blossomed by changing schools.

Jeremiah Martin began his college football career in Texas and he'll finish up there.

Heading into the Alamo Bowl against the Texas Longhorns on Dec. 29 in San Antonio, the University of Washington edge rusher will return to the Lone Star state where he spent three seasons at Texas A&M before joining the Huskies for the past two.

The 6-foot-4, 267-pound Martin had to experience three different college coaching staffs before maximizing his talents this past season and becoming an NFL prospect.

Give the departed Jimmy Lake credit for bringing this powerful player to Seattle through the transfer portal; however, Kalen DeBoer's staff gets to take a sweeping bow for unleashing Martin and his football talents at full bore and helping turn him into a first-team, All-Pac-12 selection.

"It has exceeded my wishes by miles, man," Martin said of changing schools. "I really love the purple and gold. I'm going to bleed purple and gold the rest of my life."

From San Bernardino, California, Martin was the one who nearly came to the UW out of high school, listening to the recruiting overtures of Chris Petersen and his running-backs coach Keith Bhonapha, but Martin decided he had to sample the SEC, plus his grandmother wasn't keen on the coed dorms in Seattle.

While he played right away and played often for the Aggies, appearing in 32 games over three seasons, he was never a starter, getting on the field only as a reserve edge rusher and a special-teams player.

"I was too young, I was young-minded," Martin said of getting stuck on the A&M depth chart. "I put in the work, but I was young-minded. Once you get older, you understand a lot more. Looking back on the past, I don't dwell on it, but I try to keep going and keep growing as a person, as a father and as a public figure."

---

COACHING CONNECTION

Jeremiah Martin didn't demonstrate his full potential on the football field until Kalen DeBoer became his coach at the University of Washington, leading to Martin becoming a first-team, All-Pac-12 selection.

---

CHAINSAW MASSACRE / Skylar Lin Visuals

UW edge rusher Jeremiah Martin burst through to swat down a pass by Oregon State's Ben Gulbranson on a windy Friday night at Husky Stadium. Martin shared in a hard-earned 24-21 victory.

---

GRADUATION DAY / Skylar Lin Visuals

Jeremiah Martin took part in Senior Day ceremonies before the Huskies' final home game against Colorado. The big edge rusher from California spent the past two seasons at the UW after transferring from Texas A&M, where he played three.

---

HOLD ON / Skylar Lin Visuals

The long reach of Jeremiah Martin catches up with Arizona quarterback Jayden de Laura as he pulls him down during the UW's 49-39 victory in October at Husky Stadium.

---

OPEN ARMS / Skylar Lin Visuals

Jeremiah Martin was his usual disruptive self against Stanford, coming up with 1.5 sacks, including a strip sack, in the UW's 40-22 victory in its conference opener at Husky Stadium.

---

MARTIN AND SPARTANS / Skylar Lin Visuals

Jeremiah Martin was way too much to handle for a pair of Michigan State blockers, who watched him blow right past them into the Spartans' backfield and try to get his hands' on quarterback Payton Thorne.

---

A VERY GOOD WEEK / Skylar Lin Visuals

Edge rusher Jeremiah Martin was at his best against Arizona, collecting 9 tackles, including a pair of sacks, in the Huskies' 49-39 victory over the Wildcats, earning him Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week accolades. 

---

THREE PLUS EIGHT / Skylar Lin Visuals

Starting edge rushers Jeremiah Martin and Bralen Trice take a moment to celebrate a big play in their 39-28 victory over Michigan State in mid-September at Husky Stadium. Both were named first-team, All-Pac-12 selections at season's end. 

---

THE MENACER / Skylar Lin Visuals

An intimidating Jeremiah Martin stands over Portland State quarterback Dante Chachere after fellow edge rusher Bralen Trice knocked down Chachere in the UW's 52-6 victory early in the season. 

---

ORIGINALLY AN AGGIE :: Jerome Miron/USA TODAY Sports

Jeremiah Martin, then a Texas A&M freshman edge rusher, comes off the corner to cause problems for Clemson quarterback Kelly Bryant in a game the Aggies lost 28-26 in 2018 in College Station.

---

---

Martin didn't start on the college level until the 2021 Apple Cup against Washington State and he hasn't come out of the opening lineup since. 

He finished the regular season with 38 tackles, including 11 for lost yardage and 8.5 sacks — the latter number ranking him third in the conference. He also forced two fumbles, broke up a pass and had 5 quarterback hurries.

Martin felt everything begin to come to an end for him as a college football player with the UW-Colorado outing, which was his final Husky Stadium game appearance and honored him and the other graduating players. 

Once at the Alamo Bowl, he'll find himself just 170 miles away from College Station, where he showed up to hit people as a teenager. He's 60 pounds heavier now. He's much more worldly as a player. He's a 22-year-old man, father of two boys, including one born this past season, and an NFL prospect. 

"I see my coaches get emotional and I was like, damn, this is the last time I'm playing in college, at least at Husky Stadium," Martin said. "It's such a surreal experience."

---

Go to si.com/college/washington to read the latest Inside the Huskies stories — as soon as they’re published.

Not all stories are posted on the fan sites.

Find Inside the Huskies on Facebook by searching: Inside Huskies/FanNation at SI.com or https://www.facebook.com/dan.raley.12

Follow Dan Raley of Inside the Huskies on Twitter: @DanRaley1 or @UWFanNation or @DanRaley3

Have a question, direct message me on Facebook or Twitter.