In his first season without his brother on campus, Nick Martin looked to make a name for himself. But 2014 was a battle for Martin, not just to escape the shadows of his All-Pro brother, but to regain his health after a lingering knee injury and a multitude of other ailments made the entire season a grind.
That Martin survived to start 13 games in 2014 says plenty about his character and determination. But the team captain and two-time Rimington Trophy Watch List member needs to do more in 2015, his final season in South Bend.
Matt Hegarty transferred to Oregon after being told he wasn’t going to beat out Martin at center. So with Martin cemented to the point of attack, the Irish offensive line has the chance to be an elite unit, especially if Martin plays up to his potential.
Let’s take a closer look at Notre Dame’s returning captain and 24-game starter.
NICK MARTIN
6’4.5″, 301
Grad Student, No. 72, C
RECRUITING PROFILE
Martin spent the majority of his recruitment committed to Kentucky, one of the better players on the Wildcats’ board. But after Notre Dame zeroed in on Martin, the younger brother agreed to join his brother Zack in South Bend, saying a tough January goodbye to the program where his father played football.
Martin only graded out as a three-star prospect according to recruiting services, but had offers from Michigan, Iowa, Tennessee, Stanford and UCLA.
PLAYING CAREER
Freshman Season (2011): Did not see action.
Sophomore Season (2012): Played in all 13 games, with the majority of his action coming on multiple special teams units. Served as a backup at both tackle positions.
Junior Season (2013): Transitioned to center during the spring and started the first 11 games of the season before suffering a knee injury against BYU. Anchored the center of an offensive line that only gave up eight sacks, the second-fewest allowed in the country.
Senior Season (2014): Named team captain in the fall and started all 13 games. Transitioned from center to guard after three games, then started the rest of the season at left guard.
WHAT WE SAID LAST YEAR
I think we all underestimated Martin’s late-season injury and how difficult it was for him to recover from a fairly serious knee surgery that took place in late November. But throw in some additional bumps and bruises—a fairly serious hand injury also made it tough to snap the ball—and Martin seemed to survive the 2014 season, not necessarily thrive.
Martin won’t be able to brag about an Ironman streak like his brother. But he’s on pace to have a very impressive career in South Bend, likely serving as a three-year starter at center who has the ability to play just about anywhere on the offensive line. In 2014, we’ll get a true idea of just how good Nick is. And hints coming out of summer workouts have the answer likely being: Very Good.
Looking back at Notre Dame’s offense in 2010-2012, Kelly was open and honest about some of the athletic limitations that Cave had as the Irish center. While Martin doesn’t bring the physical strength that Cave did to the front line, he’s capable of doing everything Notre Dame demands from an interior offensive lineman.
Martin is a very good center. If he stays healthy (and the Irish win), he’ll likely find his way onto the Rimington Trophy’s short list. After seeing his older brother ignored in the postseason awards circuit, it’d be good to see the little brother recognized.
FUTURE POTENTIAL
Those in the NFL prognosticating world are keeping their eyes on Martin. And even though last season he didn’t play at his best, they still believe Martin has the type of ceiling that usually comes with a lengthy NFL caree.
Where he gets drafted will likely depend on how well—and how healthy—Martin plays in 2015. Because there’s all the pedigree you’d want in an interior offensive lineman. Throw in the performance of his brother at the next level and Martin has the chance to be a Chris Watt type, a mid-round pick that should be among the most consistent performers on the roster.
CRYSTAL BALL
I’m fascinated by Martin’s place on the roster. The returning captain isn’t the best lineman on the roster, with Ronnie Stanley taking that honor. Yet the ‘C’ on the jersey indicated that Martin was the team’s most respected—and while his performance in 2014 didn’t grade out at the top of the heap, the fact that he played through multiple maladies likely only made him more admirable in the linemen’s meeting room.
But respect from your peers won’t turn the Irish offensive line into the unit that it has the potential to be. And after Matt Hegarty walked away from South Bend because the coaching staff wasn’t moving Martin from center, it’s essential that Martin makes that decision look like a smart one by Harry Hiestand and Brian Kelly, and plays at an elite level in 2015.
Martin is a fifth-year player. He’s always been a mature one, who saw elite leadership by his brother when he took charge of the Irish offensive line in his final seasons. So if Martin is fully healthy, it shouldn’t matter if Stanley is the lineman most likely to be a Top 10 pick after the season, Martin is a team leader who should also be an elite performer.
THE 2015 IRISH A-to-Z
Josh Adams, RB
Josh Barajas, OLB
Nicky Baratti, S
Alex Bars, OL
Asmar Bilal, OLB
Hunter Bivin, OL
Grant Blankenship, DE
Jonathan Bonner, DE
Miles Boykin, WR
Justin Brent, WR
Greg Bryant, RB
Devin Butler, CB
Jimmy Byrne, OL
Daniel Cage, DL
Amir Carlisle, RB
Nick Coleman, DB
Te’von Coney, LB
Shaun Crawford, DB
Scott Daly, LS
Sheldon Day, DL
Michael Deeb, LB
Micah Dew-Treadway, DL
Steve Elmer, RG
Matthias Farley, DB
Nicco Fertitta, DB
Tarean Folston, RB
Will Fuller, WR
Jarrett Grace, LB
Jalen Guyton, WR
Mark Harrell, OL
Jay Hayes, DL
Mike Heuerman, TE
Kolin Hill, DE
Tristen Hoge, C
Corey Holmes, WR
Chase Hounshell, TE
Torii Hunter, Jr. WR
Alizé Jones, TE
Jarron Jones, DL
DeShone Kizer, QB
Tyler Luatua, TE
Cole Luke, CB
