Where Does 4-Star Penn State Commit Quinton Martin Fit Best On The Field?

One week from now the coveted Western PA prospect will sign with the Nittany Lions…but figuring out his ‘forever home’ between the white lines remains up in the air.

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Quinton Martin — the Commonwealth’s top-rated prep prospect in the 2023-24 recruiting cycle — spurned (among others) Ohio State and Michigan when he verbally committed to Penn State way back in April. Beyond the obvious benefit of landing a promising four-star athlete, Martin’s pledge to the Nittany Lions marked another notch in James Franklin’s “Dominate The State” bedpost as Pennsylvania’s top-ranked high school football talent picked the blue and white for the third year in a row.

Sidenote: Pitt (a quick 40-minute drive from Martin’s high school) was one of the “among others” not worth mentioning, by the way.

As a junior at Belle Vernon High School, Martin was a do-it-all, Groundskeeper-Willie-One-Man-Band for the (googles Belle Vernon’s team name) Leopards, responsible for 31 of his team’s 70 total TDs (22 rushing, 6 receiving, 2 punt return, 1 INT return). The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Swiss Army knife showed off his versatility in last year’s WPIAL finals at Acrisure Stadium, treating the yinzers to a sampler platter of scores (receiving, rushing, punt return). This past Saturday, he led Belle Vernon to its second consecutive state title with 157 yards on just 13 touches.

So, like, he’s good. This kid’s got ball in his bones. The instincts are there. The athleticism jumps off the screen. He’s gonna play, likely early. The question is: where?

Though Martin was given the “athlete” tag in every recruiting services’ database, insiders reported that Penn State specifically recruited him as a running back. But, obviously, that initial designation isn’t etched in stone. Not for a guy like Martin who has proven to be a game-changing threat on both sides of the ball. He’s as good reading a QB’s eyes as he is finding the vacated gap in a defense with the ball in his hands. I don’t have any tape of him at QB or in the trenches, but he’s played everywhere else.

So what positional fit is best for Martin – both long-term and short-term – and for Penn State?

Looking at Nittany Lions roster as presently constituted, I don’t think there’s any controversy about which position is the greatest need. Manny Diaz’s Unnamed Defensive Coordinator’s unit seems deep, talented, and absent of glaring holes. Penn State has two All-Conference caliber running backs returning, backed up by two freshmen who redshirted, and a beloved, fan-favorite third-stringer in Trey Potts who has the option to return (still unclear if he will or not at the time of publication). Now, to rotate my eyeline slightly and glance at the receivers… OH DEAR GOD, NO! I mean, yeah, there’s a pathway to see the field as a true freshman at wide receiver.

Then, there’s the financial aspect.

Apologies for fast-forwarding 3 or 4 years here, but sticking to the original plan and starring at running back in Happy Valley doesn’t bode well for Martin’s future earning potential. Entering the 2023 NFL season, the average salary for running backs was $1.8 million per season. No, it’s not minimum wage…but only fullbacks and long snappers average less as professionals. Kickers (KICKERS!) average more than $2 million a season. The 2023 NFL franchise tag figure for running backs was $4.35 million less than safeties earn, and $9.65 million less that wide receivers earn.

Running Back

The prototypical RB has a shorter frame than Martin’s. Sawed-off runners tend to “hide” better amongst the trees and their lower pad level gives them a leverage advantage over potential tacklers. When you come across a guy who bucks that trend (Bijan is 6-foot-2, too, and Derrick Henry is 6-foot-3) you take notice. A certain type of man doesn’t need to sneak up on you to get by you. Martin is one such man.

I broke his RB highlights down into two categories: above the shoulders (vision/elusiveness) and below the belt (those sweet, sweet get-away sticks).

Above the Shoulders: Martin’s got a deftness for the juke move that would put the great Fonzie to shame (ask your Dad who that is; he’s gonna love the reference). To be fair, many of the literal children trying to tackle Martin are doing this to beef up their extracurriculars for college applications and/or as a hobby. You don’t have to be Barry Sanders to look like Barry Sanders in high school.

Still, that kind of elusiveness begins with vision. Martin is exceptional at using his throttle and the space allotted to set up his blocks. Watch this clip all the way to the end; you’ll see a formation that looks familiar.

Below the Belt: You already saw him running around fools; how about some running over/away from chumps? I know what you’re thinking: what’s the Venn diagram of fools vs. chumps? Just shut up and watch, imaginary nerds.

Receiver

A two-sport athlete who averaged a double-double (19/10) in basketball, Martin can go up and get ‘em. There are legitimate ball skills here. Most of his junior receiving highlights were end-arounds, screens and quick-game schemes designed to get him the ball in space; as you get into this year’s film, however, you’ll start to see the ball-tracking, body-control and above-the-rim ability that made me start to think he’d be wasted in the backfield.

Most RBs don’t really stress the D much when you split them out wide; they tend to be shorter guys with stubbier arms who don’t run a full route tree. Because of Martin’s limited sample size  at WR, I can’t definitively speak to his route-running ability (although from the video morsels we do have, it looks decent) but that’s something that can be taught — his height and length cannot.

The comp who immediately springs to mind is Parker Washington — a taller Parker Washington. We always said he was a receiver in a running back’s body; this kid’s (obviously) cut from that same cloth. Perhaps it would be more proper to say Martin’s a running back in a receiver’s body. Either way, they’re both cautionary tales against judging books by their covers.

Rover (third safety)

Admittedly, projecting where Martin might fit as a defender will have a lot to do with the person who occupies Diaz’s vacant office in a few weeks. But, considering the rising popularity of 4-2-5 defenses that require a jack-of-all-trades hybrid “Rover” safety, Martin could be a difference maker on defense. As a hybrid, on any given play, he could be asked to play the deep post, creep into the box, man-up in the slot or get after the passer. That’s a lot of different jobs for one guy to learn, but Martin’s uncanny defensive instincts should lessen the learning curve.

Imagine a kid with those instincts, and those ball skills, a tinted visor, on the prowl in our defensive backfield. I’ll take it one step further: imagine a guy with his elusiveness toting back picks against dudes who don’t practice tackling or gap integrity…wooo buddy, is anyone else’s mouth watering?

Finally, you gotta respect a kid who knows his history and pays homage to the giants whose shoulders he stands on. Here he is in last weekend’s championship game, hitting the JPJ “strap” celly.

Return Specialist

Again, I have to caution you against getting overly excited about high school highlights. This is one I’m gonna let breathe; the tape speaks for itself.

The opening kick on Saturday was laid short to keep it out of Martin’s hands but he over-ran the returner and escorted #5 into the end zone as a lead blocker. By the way: 5 is no scrub; he reversed fields on a broken play for a 68-yard rushing TD on BV’s first offensive possession.

That’s just pure, uncut, God-given speed. Speaking of things that can’t be taught: Take a look at these plays from his sophomore year of high school.

My Final Take

Martin can probably contribute immediately to a receiver room in desperate need of playmakers — be they refined or totally raw. You don’t want him being a siren screaming “SCREEN” any time he comes on the field, though. With his athleticism and football IQ I’m confident he’ll get his footwork up to speed in short order. I hate to comment on a young man’s physique, especially from this angle, but those are receiver legs, my man.

Perhaps he would be a killer change-of-pace back behind Fatman and the Single Ton.  Who knows? But If Martin’s going to stick in the backfield, it’s hard to imagine him playing much as a freshman. Ultimately, if RB is the route he chooses to take, a redshirt year to transform his body may be for the best.