One of the top recruits in all of West Virginia has settled on his home after high school.
Huntington’s Robby Martin, widely considered the top offensive lineman in the state, pledged a commitment Monday to North Carolina State.
Surrounded by his teammates, Huntington senior lineman Robby Martin announces his verbal commitment to play at North Carolina State: #wvprepfb pic.twitter.com/y88pdcNISv
— MetroNews HS Sports (@MetroNewsPrep) August 1, 2023
Martin suggested the relationships he formed with Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren, offensive line coach Garett Tujague and defensive coordinator Tony Gibson played a big part in his choice.
“I feel that I made a good decision,” Martin said. “I trusted coach Doeren, coach Tujague, and coach Gibson and they all believed in me. [Huntington head] coach [Billy] Seals trusted me and believed in me.
The 6-foot-4, 285-pound Martin has primarily played offensive tackle and defensive end for the Highlanders, but projects to an interior offensive lineman at the next level.
On July 23, Martin announced he had narrowed down his finalists to four schools — North Carolina State, West Virginia, Penn State and Maryland. That came 10 weeks after Martin shortened a lengthy list of offers to eight finalists — the aforementioned four schools, Georgia Tech, Miami, Tennessee and Illinois.
“It was pretty close but at the end of the day, I feel like NC State is the place for me,” Martin said.
“I know he was torn between WVU and NC State,” said Huntington head coach Billy Seals. “Ultimately, I think that Robby made what he thought was the best decision for him. That’s all we can ask for our guys, is to do what they think is best for them.”
A rising senior, Martin was an instrumental piece of Huntington’s 2022 Class AAA state champion team and earned first-team all-state honors along the offensive line. A year earlier, Martin, then a sophomore, was an all-state honorable mention pick.
Martin becomes the second Highlander to commit to a Division I program this summer. Back in June, wide receiver Wayne Harris pledged to play at Kent State.
“It was stressful, but it has been good,” Martin said. “There’s pros and cons to it. At the end of the day, I can only go to one school. I got my decision and made it. I feel like it is the right decision.”
Earlier this year, former Huntington offensive lineman Darnell Wright was chosen 10th overall by the Chicago Bears in the NFL Draft following a successful four-year career at Tennessee.