Top Arkansas prospect Tyas Martin commits to Virginia Tech
THE SITUATION
Arkansas' top-ranked 2021 prospect has made up his mind.
Tyas Martin, a three-star defensive tackle out of Jacksonville (Ark.), committted to Virginia Tech over the likes of Kansas, Virginia and Tennessee. Admittedly, the Natural State standout had been leaning toward the Hokies for some time already.
The commitment from the 6-foot-4, 315-pounder follows that of Rivals250 wide receiver Latrell Neville from last weekend. That bolsters Virginia Tech's commitment class to a total of six -- including two four-star prospects and Tyas adding a third three-star to the mix.
IN HIS OWN WORDS
"It wasn't hard because I have been leaning toward Virginia Tech for a while now. I have been thinking about it for a long time now with my family, and last night we had a talk with Coach (Bill) Teerlinck and I decided today I wanted to be all in for Virginia Tech. What they're building is something special and I wanted to be a part of it."
"I have a good relationship with the coaches and they run a 4-3 defense and the defensive line coaches believe I'll fit in well there. Both of the defensive line coaches have experience in the NFL and I have a relationship with Coach (Darryl) Tapp and Coach Teerlinck and Coach (Beau) Davidson. They have just been telling me great things about Virginia Tech and how I could make an impact right away, so our relationship at this stage is great."
"The defense they run is a 4-3, so the coaches told me that I could play either the nose (tackle) or 3-technique, so with me playing both I have a great chance to come in and play right away. With the weapons they have on offense and with the weapons coming in the 2021 class, we're gonna score and get stops on the defensive side of the ball."
RIVALS REACTION
Martin was among the top-performing underclassmen at the 2020 All-American Bowl Combine in San Antonio. He's got massive size to be a space-filler in the ACC with a barrel chest and frame to eventually slide into the 3-technique and rush the passer from an interior defensive line spot.
His natural blend of size and power is paired with some initial first-step explosion, and that advantage lends itself to plenty of backfield penetration. What separates Martin as the top-ranked prospect in Arkansas is his motor to continue trying to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks and battling with opposing offensive linemen in the trenches.
Martin can overpower at the point of attack, but he's also technically sound with an effective swim move and a strong dip. He will continue to add more pass-rush moves to his arsenal
More so, Martin is a colossal body in the middle of the defensive line, but he still plays light on his feet and shows the ability to make plays up and down the line of scrimmage. He loves to battle inside and often takes on double teams -- and with a ton of success -- but that's an area of his game he'll need to continue to develop before he's ready to do so in the ACC.