Blue White Illustrated

I f there's one trait that James Franklin clearly covets in o7ensive linemen, it's versatility. Anyone who watched the Nit- tany Lions over the past year could easily see that quality on display, as players such as Ryan Bates, Brendan Mahon and Con- nor McGovern all showed that they could play multiple positions. In Penn State's Class of 2017, the sta7 brought aboard four more o7ensive line- men with both the size and skill to move around up front. And Robert Martin of Sparta, N.J., may be the most versatile of the bunch. O7ensive line coach Matt Limegrover has told Martin that he'll probably get snaps at center, guard and tackle when he begins his Penn State career this summer. "He said he's going to teach me how to snap the ball, but also the technique and moves required at guard and tackle," Martin said. "Honestly, whatever they need, I'm going to do it for them. I don't care where I play. I just want to be able to smack some guys around." A 6-foot-4, 275-pound three-star prospect, Martin earned 11 scholarship of- fers before committing to Penn State last April during Blue-White Weekend. How- ever, if assistant coach Herb Hand hadn't opted to leave University Park for Auburn a few months prior, Martin might have never received his chance to join the Lions. "I actually didn't have a scholarship when Coach Hand was still at Penn State," he said. "When Coach Hand le8, within three weeks, I got to know Coach Limegrover really well and picked up an o7er. Once I got to know him, plus the other coaches, I felt pretty good about Penn State. There were still one or two other schools that I liked, but I knew pretty quickly that Penn State was going to be tough to beat." With o7ers from schools such as Boston College, Maryland, Nebraska, North Car- olina State, Pitt and Virginia Tech, Martin had no shortage of opportunities. But there were two in particular that made him think everything over before he made up his mind. "Rutgers was always in the mix because they were the home school for me," he said. "But outside of Penn State, the school I really loved was Duke. They had a great sta7 and a great school, but the drive was a lot. I remember going down there with my dad and I thought that was a long drive. I couldn't imagine doing it all by myself. "But then, once I got to know Penn State more, they were always going to be the school for me. Like Duke, they o7ered me great academics, but their football is even better. Plus, the coaching sta7 is amazing." Unlike in Franklin's 6rst few years as head coach, the o7ensive line is no longer a major area of need. In fact, looking at some of the players who have now been in the program for at least a year, it's clear that the Nittany Lions are beginning to build one of the Big Ten's top units. Because of that, Martin understands that a redshirt season could be in the o7- ing this fall, but that doesn't mean he'll be taking it easy when he 6nally gets on campus in about two months. "I'll de6nitely be focusing on the aca- demic aspect of my career when I get there," he said. "Penn State is a world class school. But I'll also be working on my athleticism when I enroll. I've been doing speed training, so I'm sure I'll con- tinue that when I get up there. My main goal, however, is to get my strength up as much as I can. That's the biggest thing for linemen who are making that transi- tion." ■ Versatility is key to Martin's success on offensive line | THE MARTIN FILE STATS Was a three-year starter at St. Joseph Regional... Helped the Green Knights go 9-2 last year and win the NJSIAA Non-Public Group III championship... Had 16 pancake blocks in seven games as a senior HONORS Named a three-star re- cruit by Rivals.com, as well as the No. 20 player in New Jersey and No. 39 guard nationally... Received first- team All-North Jersey Super Football Con- ference honors and was a second-team All-State selection by NJ.com... Cho- sen to play in the Blue-Grey All-Ameri- can Game in Dallas Rivals.com prepares to begin his career as a Nittany Lion. With Trace McSorley still holding two years of eligibility, he knows that he will most likely end up redshirting this fall. That's why academics will be a major priority this summer and into the fall se- mester. With that said, Cli7ord has also made it clear that he's ready to show his teammates and coaches what they can expect in the coming years. "Academics, in my family, have been held to a higher standard than football through- out my whole life," Cli7ord said. "That's a big reason why Penn State was an easy de- cision for me. So, when I get on campus in June, that's going to be one of my biggest priorities right from the start. Obviously, Trace has been doing a great job, so I'd love to see him succeed like he did last year. But even if I don't get called upon this season, I'm going to do everything I can to help this team improve even more. The best thing that I can do is compete, whether that's on the 6eld or in the classroom." ■ CLICK HERE to see video of Martin in action.

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