PIGSKIN PRODIGY

Eighth Grader Recruited to Play Division I College Football by Two Schools

“He has the maturity of an upperclassman,” his coach said.

Cole Martin has two Division I college football offers—but he hasn't stepped foot in high school yet. Martin, an eight-grader, and incoming freshman at Hamilton High School in Chandler, Arizona, has already received offers to play for Florida Atlantic University and the University of Nevada. “It's humbling,” Martin said of the offers. “I'm happy I got there. I'm blessed... It just tells me to keep working, because I have a long time before I have to make that decision where I'm going to go to college.” His father, Demetrice Martin, is a football coach at the University of Arizona and was a standout cornerback in the 1990s at Michigan State.

The younger Martin has been traveling with his father across the country for coaching gigs his whole childhood, possibly giving him an edge of maturity on the field. “He's been around his dad, been in a lot of (coaches) meetings, being on the sideline, his clock sped up just being around him,” Hamilton Defensive coordinator Tim Dougherty said. “He has the maturity of an upperclassman,” Hamilton coach Mike Zdebski said.