Martin staying solid despite new interest
The Texas Tech coaching staff offered Cibolo (Texas) Steele quarterback Xavier Martin last summer on July 17th, and the signal caller pulled the trigger by committing to the Red Raiders less than two weeks later.
In his first year as a starter, Martin exploded onto the scene, leading his Steele squad to the state semifinal and a 14-1 record. As a result of his impressive junior campaign, the QB garnered First Team All-District honors, passing for 2,041 yards, completing 69 percent of his passes with 21 touchdowns and only three interceptions. He also rushed for 673 yards and eight touchdowns.
Since his big junior season, Martin has seen things pick up steam on the recruiting trail, putting on a show at the Rivals QB Challenge and Elite 11 competition this spring. Multiple schools are beginning to show interest on the quarterback as a results.
However, even with the increased interest and spotlight, Martin remains very solid in his commitment to the Red Raiders.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Some of the schools starting to show heavy interest in the six-foot quarterback include Big 12 rival Baylor, local school UTSA, and the University of Houston. Martin is pretty much done with the camp circuit this offseason and is focused on developing more as a quarterback with the Yale Vannoy Passing Academy and is also looking forward to spring ball at Steele. The three-star quarterback also wants to get to 200 pounds by the start of the season.
With Texas Tech, Martin speaks with head coach Kliff Kingsbury and offensive coordinator Eric Morris on a very regular basis. Having been committed for almost a year, Martin and the Tech staff are now talking about the quarterback graduating in December and enrolling early at Texas Tech.
Martin and fellow Red Raider commit Jack Anderson are also working the recruiting trail as well. Martin is recruiting his Steele teammates Travell Lumpkin, Joshua Croslen, and 2018 wide receiver Caden Sterns.
IN HIS WORDS:
On the increased interest from recruiting services:
“It is pretty cool. It doesn’t matter if it doesn’t translate to the field. To be recognized as one of the top guys, that’s a cool feeling, but like I said, it doesn’t matter if it doesn’t translate and I don’t click on the field. I just got to keep my head in the right place and keep practicing the way I’m supposed to and hopefully it translates to the field. I wanted to show that I’m not only one of the fastest, but I can throw really well too. I’m a running quarterback, but I also have a pretty good arm.”
On increased interest from other schools:
“A lot of schools have been trying to talk to me, but I don’t talk to them. Baylor and Houston came recently and UTSA has really been in my ear a lot lately, but I don’t talk to them back. They’ve all tried to talk to me.”
On how things stand with Texas Tech:
“Things have been going really good. I still talk to them all the time, I still get letters from them, and I still get shown lots of love from them. They gave me a shot without me even starting at quarterback which shows how much trust they had in me. They recognized me before all the other guys which is a big thing for me.”
“Lately we have been talking a lot about if I’m going to graduate early or not. I’ve been weighing my options. I am not sure if I am going to do it yet or not, but it is in the back of my mind, and I have been thinking about it.”
OUR REACTION
At this point, you have to trust Kliff Kingsbury's quarterback evaluations, right? Martin is the latest signal caller to explode onto the scene after committing to the Red Raiders, and other teams around the state are taking notice. The fact that Martin has been so vocally solid in his commitment should make Tech fans feel great about where things sit. - Will McKay