Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/787374
T H E C L A S S O F 2 0 1 7 >> WHAT HE DID An o>ensive lineman with a mean streak, Mar- tin helped St. Joseph Regional =nish the regular season with a 7-2 record and earn a =rst-round bye in the NJSIAA Non- public Group III playo>s. In the championship game, the Green Knights defeated DePaul Catholic, 26-17, to =nish 9-2. They were also ranked No. 1 overall in New Jersey by multiple publications and No. 18 in the country by HSFB America. A three-year letterman, Martin =nished with 16 pancake blocks in seven games as a senior. WHAT HE WON For three consecutive years, Martin earned All-Conference, All-Metro and All-State honors. He also par- ticipated in the Blue-Grey All-American Game at AT&T Sta- dium in Dallas. Martin is listed as a three-star prospect by Rivals and is the 20th-ranked player in New Jersey. He ranks as the 39th-best guard nationally. WHERE HE VISITED Martin considered and visited Boston College, Duke, North Carolina, Pitt, Rutgers and Virginia Tech, but a trip to Penn State for camp was one of the =rst vis- its he took, and in the end it was all he needed to see. QUOTABLE Martin: "As soon as I pulled up on campus [for the 2016 Blue-White Game], I knew this is where I wanted to be. I was always dreaming of playing at Penn State since I was a little kid. Just being around the coaches and seeing that game-day experience – it wasn't even a game day, ac- tually. It was a spring game. Just to see that live, the energy and pride in it, it really took a toll on me, and I had to do it." STAFF SAYS James Franklin: "I like the baby-faced guys who you know are still growing and still maturing. He really =ts that model. His dad was a basketball player [who] played at Lehigh. He's got a big, supportive family. We expect him to come and do really good things." PHIL'S TAKE Martin played at about 260 pounds at the high school level, but he has the frame to carry close to 300 in college. He's currently listed at 275 and is expected to begin his Penn State career at the guard position. He has solid feet and the ability to get to the second level with his blocks. It's all but certain that Martin will redshirt this coming fall as he works with the strength and conditioning sta> to add the weight he will need to hold his own against Big Ten competi- tion. ■ ROBBIE MARTIN RIVALS ★★★ POS OL HT 6-4 WT 275 HOME Sparta, N.J. SCHOOL St. Joseph Regional Rivals.com WHAT HE DID Johnson excelled at cornerback and running back for Cass Tech, which =nished the year undefeated at 14-0 and won the MHSAA Division I championship. It was the team's second consecutive state title. Johnson scored two touchdowns in the Technicians' 49-20 victory over Novi Detroit Catholic Central in the championship game this past November. He was a four-year letterman on a team that went 50-5 during his tenure. WHAT HE WON Johnson earned All-City and All-State hon- ors from the Detroit Free Press, and he also recently took part in the U.S. Army All-American Game. He is a four-star prospect and a member of the Rivals250, coming in at No. 224 overall. He's the 18th-ranked cornerback nationally and the fourth-ranked player in Michigan. WHERE HE VISITED In addition to Penn State, Johnson's list of suitors included such schools as Nebraska, Oregon, Pitt, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, West Virginia and Wisconsin. But despite all the attention he received, he only took two o?cial visits, checking out the Hokies in September and the Nittany Lions in early December. He committed to Penn State on Dec. 12. QUOTABLE Johnson: "I spent a lot of time with a lot of play- ers here. They were real cool and it wasn't hard for me to =t in with them. It's like a brotherhood here. They spend a lot of time together. They answered the questions that I asked and it just seemed like [they have] great people here." STAFF SAYS Terry Smith: "He's a tremendous athlete. He's a mid to low 4.3 [40-yard] guy. He's an explosive jumper with great feet and great hips. I'm really looking forward to working with him because of his athleticism." PHIL'S TAKE The Nittany Lions have landed four high- quality cornerback prospects, with D.J. Brown, Tariq Cas- tro-Fields and Lamont Wade joining Johnson in the Class of 2017. It looks to be the second-best group of cornerbacks in the Big Ten behind Ohio State's contingent. Johnson just might be the most underrated member of the Lions' group. He has 4.35-second 40-yard speed and a 37-inch vertical leap. In addition, he displays excellent hand-eye coordina- tion, an a?nity for press one-on-one coverage and an ability to close on the football. I expect him to play the =eld corner- back position at Penn State. ■ DONOVAN JOHNSON RIVALS ★★★★ POS DB HT 5-9 WT 170 HOME Detroit, Mich. SCHOOL Cass Tech Rivals.com