Freshmen Faces: DL Sean Martin
Recruitment
The Bluefield, West Virginia native originally decided to take his talents down to Chapel Hill and play for Mack Brown at North Carolina, but had a change of heart and re-opened his recruitment before eventually choosing to stick home and play for Neal Brown. Martin was a hot commodity on the recruiting trail having earned offers from Baylor, Georgia Tech, Duke, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan State, NC State, Oregon, Penn State, Pitt, Utah, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, and a bundle of others.
Player Breakdown
The narrative about West Virginia high school football is that it doesn't produce many high-level athletes. Over the past few years guys like Dante Stills, Darius Stills, Isaiah Johnson, Dorian Etheridge, Doug Nester, and several others prove that narrative to be false. Sean Martin (6'6", 260 lbs) is just another example. He has a high motor and has a great combination of strength and speed that will make him a problem for Big 12 offensive tackles over the next four or so years. Martin has all the tools to be a top pass rusher in the league and will have the opportunity to watch and learn from Dante Stills.
2020 Outlook
Coming into camp, I would have guessed that Martin would be buried on the depth chart due to the amount of returning players on that defensive front. However, Neal Brown has gave me reasons to believe that may not be the case at all. Last week, he told wvusports.com writer John Antonik that he was one of the young guys that has been sticking out early in camp.
“Sean Martin was a big get for us and not only does he look the part but he’s done everything we’ve asked him to do since he’s been here,” Brown said. “He’s learning. The game is obviously at a different speed, but he’s extremely detail-oriented, he’s intelligent, he understands the game and he’s about the right things. I think he’s got a tremendous future."
If Martin continues to impress throughout fall camp, you'll likely see him on the field this season to some capacity.
What are your expectations for Sean Martin in 2020? Let us know your thought in the comment section below!
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