West Virginia didn't land North Carolina State transfer offensive lineman Robby Martin the first time around. But the second time was the charm.
Martin, 6-foot-3, 302-pounds, initially picked the Wolfpack over the Mountaineers as a three-star prospect out of Huntington High School. The all-state selection considered the Big 12 Conference program up until when he signed with North Carolina State.
Martin spent only one season with the Wolfpack and then elected to enter the transfer portal with all four years of eligibility remaining. That led to an official visit to Morgantown Jan. 9 and he would commit to the program a few days later.
The interior offensive lineman is the latest in a string of additions for the program in recent days on the front with Tulsa transfer offensive guard Walter Young Bear and LSU transfer offensive guard Kimo Makane’ole also in the boat for the Mountaineers.
WVSports.com breaks down the transfer of Martin and what it means to the West Virginia Mountaineers football program both now and in the future.
The data:
Martin did not see the field in his lone season at North Carolina State but that isn't out of the ordinary for a true freshman on the offensive line. Having seen Martin in person multiple times, West Virginia has secured a long-armed athletic interior offensive lineman that has good feet and the frame that college coaches want at the position.
Martin recorded a total of 190 pancakes during his time at Huntington High and is a prospect that definitely has his best football ahead of him.
Fitting the program:
It's no secret that West Virginia needed to add offensive linemen due to the losses that the program sustained through graduation and the transfer portal. The Mountaineers only had a total of 11 scholarship linemen prior to the addition of Martin and this gives the program a versatile interior option that has four full seasons remaining.
That is going to allow him the opportunity to compete for playing time immediately but there also is the backdrop of Martin having time to further develop and put him in position to maximize his potential with the Mountaineers.
West Virginia made Martin a priority the first time around in large part because of his skill set and the in-state native won't need any introduction to the football program. Prior to his official visit Martin had visited campus plenty of times and understands what the program means to the state and its people.
Anytime you can keep the state's best at home, even if there was a slight detour, it's good news for the Mountaineers and the potential is here for Martin to make an impact over the course of his career as he develops.
Recruiting the position:
West Virginia has been active when it comes to targeting offensive linemen in the transfer portal and even with the additions to date I don't expect that to stop. The Mountaineers still need help at offensive tackle and one prospect on the board that is visiting is Princeton tackle Will Reed. There will be more names as well so expect West Virginia to continue to fill out this position with targets.
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