Since Jeremy Pruitt’s arrival as Tennessee’s head coach, the Vols have made recruiting in the state of Alabama a bigger priority than in years past. Tennessee already has one commitment in the 2019 class from Alabama in three-star defensive tackle LeDarrius Cox, and they’ve sent out 23 offers to players in the state, the seventh-most offers UT’s coaches have sent out to any state in the 2019 cycle. And on Monday, they picked up some good news from a talented athlete in the Yellowhammer State.
Jadarious Martin — who goes by JD Martin — is a versatile athlete in the 2019 class out of Wetumpka, Alabama. He included the Vols in his top 10 not too long ago, and he just trimmed down his list to six schools. And Tennessee made that cut.
Recruitment Still Open It May Change ? These The Schools I Will Be Focusing On??
Top 6??
No Specific Order❗#HottyToddy #GBO#OWLin#BBN#GoTigersGo#IUnit19 pic.twitter.com/61ZqKwdxVu
— Jadarious Martin (@fns_jd23) June 25, 2018
Tennessee’s staff offered Martin back in early February of this year, and he attended a Junior Day event a month later in early March. He holds offers from the three SEC schools in his top six and other schools such as Louisville, Georgia Tech, and Wake Forest.
Per the 247Sports Composite rankings, Martin is the No. 829 overall player and the No. 75 athlete in the 2019 recruiting cycle. While he’s listed as an athlete, he played primarily at quarterback for Wetempka High School and was very effective at the position.
It’s likely that Martin won’t play quarterback in college, and he’s being looked at as a possible transition player to wide receiver or some other position. But he does have some very strong skills at quarterback and reminds me of a shorter, quicker version of what Jauan Jennings was like in high school.
The 6-foot, 185-pound Martin is extremely fast and uses that speed to his full advantage in high school. He blasts out of the pocket and isn’t easy to catch, nor is he easy to bring down when he does actually get caught. He has a cannon for an arm and can complete some insane deep passes, and he’s actually fairly accurate with a lot of his deep throws. His film doesn’t show him making too many other throws, however, so it’s possible he’s more of a one-trick pony in the passing game. Even still, that one trick is fairly impressive, and he’s a very athletic player.
As a junior, Martin ran for over 2,000 yards and 23 touchdowns while also passing for over 1,300 yards, 12 touchdowns, and only three interceptions. He helped lead Wetumpka to a school-record 13 wins and their first ever appearance in the state championship game.
Not only does Martin excel on the football field, but he plays basketball and runs track for Wetumpka as well.
Though he’s unlikely to play at quarterback full-time in college, Martin is a sensational athlete who has some solid leadership skills. If the Vols get a commitment from him in their 2019 class, expect Pruitt and his staff to find some way to get him on the field.
