When a major program loses a key recruit, Rivals.com takes a look at how big of a blow it is to the respective school, analyzing it from a local and national level. To quantify the “sting” of each decommitment, we assign a score from one to 10, with one being no big deal and 10 being a catastrophic hit.
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THE STORYLINE
LJ Martin committed to Texas Tech in late April.
It was another big win for the Red Raiders and first-year coach Joey McGuire as the Big 12 team loaded up quickly in its recruiting class and basically had put the finishing touches on the group through the summer as there’s just a handful of spots left to add some names.
The class is largely dominated by in-state prospects as McGuire has leveraged his relationships through Texas since he was a well-known high school coach there and has connections all across the state.
It looked like Martin, from El Paso (Texas) Canutillo, was going to be a really nice addition to the Red Raiders’ backfield.
But a curious thing happened. About one week after committing to Texas Tech, Martin took a visit to Stanford and landed an offer from the Cardinal. In recent days, the high three-star flipped his commitment to the Pac-12 program.
Texas Tech has not dealt with any other decommitments this recruiting cycle, but Martin was a talented back who put up big numbers in his junior season, so this one does hurt a little.
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LOCAL REACTION
Martin flipping to Stanford was not something unexpected since the Cardinal offered a few weeks ago. That was one program that always had Martin’s attention due to its academics. Martin’s an excellent running back, one of the most productive in the country, but RBs are also the least valuable position in football. Texas Tech also has Wichita Falls Rider running back Anquan Willis committed as part of the 2023 class.
McGuire and his staff have gotten off to an excellent start in recruiting and Martin was a big part of that. It stings, but Texas Tech fans can also breathe easy knowing the coaches have several months to identify other RB targets should they look to add a second back to the class again. - Ben Golan, RedRaiderSports.com
Sting Factor: 7
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NATIONAL REACTION
Martin is a very talented running back, but these things are going to happen, especially when Stanford or another elite academic school gets involved. Texas Tech has been doing a phenomenal job loading up early with not only recruits but talented ones who should point the Red Raiders on the field in the coming years.
The El Paso prospect would have been a very nice addition because he’s a tough runner who could provide versatility to the offense, but Willis is no slouch. Texas Tech is not going to win every recruiting battle, and while the coaches would rather Martin be in Lubbock, Stanford’s offer was just too much for him to turn down. - Adam Gorney, Rivals national recruiting director
Sting Factor: 6
