Clemson Football: Tigers offer 2018 RB Asa Martin
The Clemson Tigers coaching staff has been busy on the recruiting trail since the start of the summer camp circuit. Today I will be breaking down the offer of 2018 running back prospect, Asa Martin.
After months of consideration, the Clemson football program finally decided to extend a scholarship offer to Asa Martin. There had been mutual interest between the two for some time now, but, the Tigers are extremely reserved when it comes to offering prospects. Although Clemson is late to the party, they now have a serious shot at landing Martin.
Strengths:
Martin currently attends IMG Academy, which is one of the best high school football programs in the country. Playing at IMG gives Martin a multitude of advantages. For starters, Martin is playing with and against college level competition week-in-week-out. One of the other perks of playing at IMG is the fact that it’s a boarding school. Majority of the members of it’s football program live on campus, similar to a college setting. Martin will surely be prepared for the rigors of college football.
- Explosive jump cuts
- Catches the ball well
- Natural/comfortable gate
Weaknesses:
Martin is a very effortless runner, however, he can stand to improve his top end speed. He has a great frame capable of holding about 10 to 15 more pounds of muscle. Honestly, Martin doesn’t have many weaknesses fundamentally, he runs the ball well, catches it out of the backfield and has shown the ability to pass protect well.
Outlook:
Clemson has been bullish when it comes to running backs in the 2018 recruiting cycle. The Tigers have offered less than 10 prospects at the position, many of which are currently committed elsewhere. The fact that the Tigers decided to pull the trigger and offer Martin, shows how serious they are about recruiting him. Under Dabo Swinney, Clemson has been meticulous in their recruiting efforts, therefore making every offer committable.
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Martin’s ability to stop and start on a dime would mesh perfectly with Clemson’s zone-heavy offensive system. He has the vision to diagnose cutback lanes instantaneously similar to former Clemson Tiger, Andre Ellington. With programs like Alabama, Auburn and Florida hot on his trail, it’ll be interesting to see how Martin’s recruitment unfolds.