We have talked about true freshman defensive back Cole Martin quite a bit this spring, but with all due respect, that was mostly because of his relationship with his father, Oregon Ducks cornerbacks coach Demetrice Martin.
Players had told us stories of them being a mirror image of each other in the locker room, and Coach Meat informed us that coaching his son was easier than he thought it would be, with the other defensive coaches — Dan Lanning, Tosh Lupoi, Chris Hampton, etc. — coaching him up before he could get to Cole.
“I just wait till we get home at night,” Coach Meat said.
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Now when we talk about Cole Martin, it’s because of the potential that he’s shown, and the standout performance that he had at Oregon’s spring game last weekend.
The true freshman popped off the screen for anyone watching and was clearly one of the most high-energy players on the field. Whether it was meeting the ball carrier in the open field with force, making a great break on an out-breaking route near the sideline to register a pass break-up, or running a punt back for 29 yards — the long of the day — there were things that Martin did throughout the scrimmage that made him jump off the tape.
After the game, we labeled Martin as one of the players who saw their stock rise the most, questioning whether or not he could be a solid rotation player for the Oregon defense this fall in his first season.
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Talking to head coach Dan Lanning after the game, it came as no surprise to the staff or the players on the roster that Cole rose to the occasion.
“Cole’s a good player you know, I think he’s exactly what we thought he was gonna be,” Lanning said. “He had a great spring practice. He’s super competitive.”
When you get to the collegiate level, everyone is talented. However, it’s the players who work the hardest, and take the best care of their bodies who end up finding the most success when all is said and done, using what they learned in the film room to build on the talent that they possess.
Martin grew up as a coach’s kid and obviously has seen Coach Meat teach some of the best players in the game over the years. It’s obvious that he knows how to succeed off the field in order to shine on it.
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“You know, I think what makes it special is he’s the guy who’s gonna be up here at 6 a.m., you know, getting an ice bath, doing the extra,” Lanning said. “He knows what’s required. Obviously, he’s a coach’s kid. So he does a little bit extra from that standpoint. He got some highlights today, but I’m sure there’s stuff that he wants to improve on.”
Based on what we saw at the spring game, the level of expectations have been set for Cole. There’s a belief now that he can have an impact on Oregon’s defense as a freshman, and build from there.
If he continues to put the work in off of the field and grow as a player as we’ve been told he does, it’s going to be fun to watch how good he can eventually be in Eugene.
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