USC Recruiting: The Trojans Find a Champion in Marcus Martin

Into the tattered remnants of what was once a strong and proud USC football program comes an unlikely hero.

Standing 6’5” and weighing a hefty 340 pounds, Crenshaw High School offensive lineman Marcus Martin did on Sunday what many thought would be a long time coming for Trojan head coach Lane Kiffin.

He accepted a Trojan scholarship offer to play football for USC in 2011.

Martin, who is largely responsible for opening up the huge holes that five-star (as rated by Scout.com), mega recruit running back DeAnthony Thomas, also a Trojan pledge, (albeit a “soft verbal”) has ran through for the last couple of years, received his offer prior to the severe sanctions leveled at USC by the NCAA.

Which makes Martin’s verbal pledge all the more important to USC.

If there was ever a time when the Trojans needed some good news, this is it.

Reeling from sanctions that will cost the Trojans 30 scholarships over three years as well as a two-year bowl ban, the welcome news that Marcus Martin still wanted to be a Trojan speaks volumes for how the program goes forward from here.

Of course, the Trojans are appealing the NCAA’s penalties and perhaps there will be a reduction in the sanctions but this remains to seen.

What doesn’t remain to be seen is what this single pledge means to the immediate future of USC.

In addition to filling an area of need, Martin, in essence, said that being a Trojan means more than a post year bowl ban for a couple of years.

In expressing his desire to play football for Lane Kiffin and the Trojans, Martin has symbolically said that things are going to be okay for USC.

Whether or not Martin sees the field for USC is beside the point. The kid has just thrown the whole program a lifeline with this simple acceptance of the Trojans scholarship offer.

Though Martin is only rated a three-star offensive lineman by Scout.com, in Trojan fans eyes, Marcus Martin will be a five-star recruit and perhaps the most important verbal pledge USC has received since Shaun Cody became the first major recruit of the Pete Carroll era.

Make no mistake about it; Martin now heads to the front of the line in terms of recruiting in Trojan lore.

What’s even better is that Martin is a very good offensive lineman and will only get better as time goes on.

He has the size and skill to become a premier lineman for the Trojans and, as said earlier, he fills a true position of need for USC.

His pledge also sends a message to Max Wittek, DeAnthony Thomas, Victor Blackwell and all of the other 2010 prep players who have given USC their verbal pledge, which is that this latest setback will not destroy the Trojans and that he, Marcus Martin, plans on being part of the resurgence for the men of Troy.

For this, Trojan nation owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to Marcus Martin.

And perhaps a place on the list of all time great Trojan recruits.