Virginia athlete Martin Lucas speaks about ASU, his only power-five offer
Talk to recruits, and it seems their best indication of a school’s initial interest stems from social media. Red lights start flashing in their head when a flock of coaches hit them with a follow all in about an hour. If nothing else, a conversation is likely.
For Martin Lucas, the Twitter DM came in from Antonio Pierce at 9:35 p.m. on April 29.
“We need to talk lol,” it read.
Within the hour, Lucas had a scholarship offer from Arizona State. It was the first time the three-star athlete had heard from anyone at ASU, but the Sun Devil coaches, namely Pierce, ASU’s co-defensive coordinator was so impressed by his film, they swiftly jumped in on his recruitment.
“I was hype,” Lucas said. “We Facetimed and then he offered me.”
Arizona State was Martin’s first power-five offer amongst the 10 total he’s garnered. And while Martin recently cut down his list to a top 10, he noted that Virginia Tech, Washington State and UCLA are after his services and, if they offer him, he won’t hesitate to update his top 10.
Though listed as an athlete, the Sun Devils have been recruiting Lucas as both a running back and linebacker, with Lucas in touch with Pierce, the linebackers coach, and running backs coach Shaun Aguano.
But, Pierce, DM and onward, has been the main recruiter.
“I can talk to him about anything. He’s cool. Like we talked about a haircut a couple of days ago,” Lucas said of Pierce, before expanding on what position ASU wants him at. “They said they were going to let my body decide. It depends on how I grow. I’m only 16, so they’ll think I’ll grow more.”
Room to grow? Lucas is a 6-foot-3 240-pound souped-up Mack truck who is hardly old enough to drive one. The thought of him any bigger is tough to comprehend. Heck, his frame has already led to some head-scratching achievements.
An example: Like most kids, Lucas was on the track and field. But unlike most kids, he competed in the 100-meter dash and shot put. One minute he was with the big boys and the next he was the skinny flashes of Virginia. He seems to have the versatility, body-wise, to compete anywhere.
Because of a ligament injury, Lucas suffered in his foot just five games into his junior season, you have to turn the calendar back two times to gauge his numbers. And, as a sophomore, Lucas ran for more than 1,200 yards while helping Abingdon advance to the second round of the postseason.
“(AP says he likes) my physicality and how I play with grit and how I move at my size,” Lucas said. “As a running back, I feel like I can make you miss and run you over. I’m most likely going to make you miss but I could run you over, too. As a linebacker, I try to lay out everyone I can. I hit pretty hard.”
Lucas said the five programs recruiting him the hardest right now are ASU, UMass, Villanova, Marshall, and Chattanooga. The advantage is clear for the Sun Devils. The only power-five program stands out amongst that group for a million reasons. For Lucas, ASU’s most significant leverage may just be the 53,599 seats that make up Sun Devil Stadium.
“Oh yeah, it is. Just the thought of playing in front of that many people, it would be awesome,” Lucas said. “That’s probably going to be the first place I visit.”
But the stadium size is just one of the few things on Lucas’ wish list, the things schools need to make him feel comfortable about before he announces his commitment.
“I have to feel comfortable with the staff, that’s probably the first thing. And then the campus,” Lucas said. “And third, I want to play in a big stadium. Like I want to play somewhere big. I just want to play somewhere where I’m wanted.
“(ASU) is probably my best chance to make it to the pros. Arizona State, I don’t know, it’s big time -- especially a kid from where I’m at, no one makes it out. It’s kind of crazy they offered me.”
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