Frank Martin II followed USC’s tumultuous season closely.
An early-season head coaching change and associated issues did not alter Martin’s goal – sign a letter of intent with USC, which Martin did today.
Martin, a 6-foot-6, 295-pound offensive lineman at Mater Dei, was raised to become a Trojan.
“It’s everything he’s worked for since he was a little boy,” said his mother, Shalini Martin, at Mater Dei’s letter of intent signing event this morning in Mater Dei’s Meruelo Athletic Center.
“That was the script,” Frank Martin II said, “go to Mater Dei and then go to USC.”
His father, Frank Martin Sr., said, “This is the completion of a dream for a guy who had this dream since he was little. To see these dreams come true is unbelievable. We’re feeling so blessed.”
Martin II stayed the course, through the firing of Steve Sarkisian to Clay Helton’s hiring as interim coach to uncertainty who would be the de facto coach to the announcement that Helton would be the coach in 2016.
“I knew all along that USC’s a great school,” Martin II said. “Whoever they got would be a reputable coach.”
Committing to a college is one thing. Signing is another, and it usually is a stress-buster once the high school student-athletes sign their names to the letter of intent paperwork.
“I’m just glad it’s finally over,” said Martin II, who had scholarship offers from 30 colleges – basically, any college that that it had a chance to land him. “It was hectic. Now that it’s over, I can get back to work, get in the weight room and get together with my speed-training guys.”
Martin was All-Orange County first team and was named all-state first team by CalHiSports.com. He was rated by some as the No. 1 guard prospect in California.
