What were you doing in eighth grade? Maybe you had an awkward grade school fling, or you were fearing the days of becoming a high schooler. While those things may be true for class of 2022 linebacker Tyler Martin, who also was a varsity starter for Buckingham Brown and Nichols School in Acton, Massachusetts, he also was just offered a football scholarship from Michigan.
While Martin is only in eighth grade, he is 6’3”, 227 lbs according to his Twitter page. The 15-year-old led his team in tackles last season, and was very impressive on the field. See for yourself:
Obviously this kid is a raw prospect, but he potentially has high level size, athleticism, and elusiveness for his position. He also reads plays very well by covering running backs out of the backfield, and chipping receivers on slant routes. Martin hits the holes in the offensive line hard and puts a lot of pressure on opposing QBs and RBs. The best thing is that all he is going to do is continue to learn and grow with four years of high school ahead.
A story in the Boston Herald says what separates Martin is his “work ethic and attitude. He has that ‘it’ factor which is what you need to play at the next level.”
In the same story, his coach at BB&N, John Papas, said, “He is a man-child... I hate to make this comparison about a 15-year-old kid, but he reminds me so much of Luke Kuechly with the way he runs, reacts and explodes to the ball.”
Don Brown and Jim Harbaugh saw enough potential to give this kid an offer. He has received high praise from all of his coaches, and received his first offer from Michigan. There is a long way to go yet for Martin in his high school career, and for him even to make a commitment. But put this name in the back of your mind as a potential star from the class of 2022.