Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1516624
4 2 M A R C H 2 0 2 4 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / T H E C L A S S O F 2 0 2 4 / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / P enn State signed plenty of talented players in its 2024 recruiting class, but you won't find many who excite fans more than Quinton Martin Jr. A native of Belle Vernon, Pa., Martin has proven that he can do it all. During his junior and senior seasons, not only did he rack up some eye-catching stats, totaling more than 3,600 yards of of- fense and 61 touchdowns, but he also proved he's a winner, leading Belle Ver- non to back-to-back PIAA Class AAA state championships. For anyone who follows high school football in Western Pennsylvania, his performance with the Leopards was no surprise. By the time he was in mid- dle school, Martin had already made a name for himself in the Pittsburgh area. "We knew he was going to be a really good player early on," Belle Vernon head coach Matt Humbert said. "In middle school, just about every game they would open up handing him a jet sweep, and just about every game, he would end up scoring on that. So, of course we knew who he was in sixth, seventh, eighth grade. "Going into his freshman year, there were a lot of people saying, 'Hey, this kid can start as a freshman.' I never re- ally jumped on that boat because I know the level that we play. It's hard for a kid as a freshman to start right away. "But I remember all eyes were on him the first day of camp, and we put him into a very high-intensity hitting drill that first day. We knew if he could hold his own right there, he's going to be a dude. He didn't let us down that day or really at any point during his freshman year, that's for sure." The Right Fit The only question coaches have ever had about Martin is where exactly he fits best at the college level. He was used primarily as a running back in high school, but he also totaled nearly 1,500 yards receiving throughout his career. In addition, he was an impact player on defense, seeing action at both line- backer and defensive back. There was no consensus among col- lege coaches about where he should play. Penn State was open to whatever Martin preferred. As it turned out, Martin preferred to play running back, and that helped the Nittany Lions emerge as the favorites early on. He had built relationships with both cornerbacks coach Terry Smith, who oversees recruiting in the Pitts- burgh area, and running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider. Those connections had a big impact on his decision. "The key factor was the communica- tion with the coaches," Martin's uncle Shawn Martin said. "They're very pas- sionate, and we got the opportunity to interact with all the coaches. They weren't trying to sell you. They're very transparent. It was just real. Every question that we ever had, they not only answered, but they made sure that we left there satisfied." At 6-foot-1, 194 pounds, Martin is taller than most running backs, but his growth in recent years hasn't impacted him athletically. Humbert said his in- stincts and awareness are what separate him from his peers. "In some of the inside and outside runs that we have, he just has such Martin received more than 20 scholarship offers before choosing the Nittany Lions in April 2023 over Ohio State, Pitt and West Virginia. PHOTO COURTESY QUINTON MARTIN JR. QUINTON MARTIN JR. Versatile prospect could help Penn State in a variety of roles