re: 2018 Football Recruiting Thread -- Final OP Update Edition

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Auburn landed a complete back on Thursday in Top247 recruit Asa Martin.

The Decatur (Ala.) Austin standout checks all the boxes at the position, a downhill runner with good vision at the line of scrimmage, can plant his foot and explode a different direction to daylight, can shake and bake you in the open field and one of his best traits is being his ability to catch the football.

Martin is a smooth, every-down back that lives off his vision, quickness and ability to shed defenders.

Ranked by 247Sports as the nation’s No. 10 running back and No. 7 recruit in the state, the 5-foot-11 1/2, 200-pound Martin does all the little things as well including picking up a blitzer and lining up at several positions within the offense.

Auburn beat Alabama and Clemson for the highly-recruited prospect that played his junior season for national powerhouse IMG Academy in Florida before transferring home.

I got a chance to see Martin at Nike Football’s The Opening Regional back in the spring and thought he was extremely fluid with burst in position drills and showed that make-you-miss ability in cat and mouse. A versatile player that can run routes with soft hands.

The Tigers jump six spots to No. 23 nationally with a commitment from Martin who becomes one of the jewels for Gus Malzahn and his staff in this 2018 cycle.

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Four-star 2018 running back Asa Martin committed to Auburn this morning during a ceremony at Austin High in Decatur.

The 6-foot, 200-pound Martin is the state's top-rated running back and the No. 4 player on AL.com's A-List of the state's best senior recruits. He chose the Tigers over Alabama, Florida and Clemson.

"The feeling of playing in front of your home state will be a good thing," he told AL.com.

Martin returned to Austin during the offseason after playing his junior year at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. He ran for 372 yards and four touchdowns in limited time at IMG. As a sophomore at Austin, he tallied 1,374 yards rushing and 12 scores during the Black Bears' run to the Class 6A semifinals.

Martin is Auburn's first running back commitment for the Class of 2018. The Tigers offered Martin on Feb. 13.

Martin wanted to find a school and a team where he'd feel most comfortable.

"Because I've got to live there the next three to four years," he said. "I want to be able to trust the people on staff and be able to fit in with the players."

While Martin was relieved to make his commitment, he admitted beforehand one of the struggles of the process.

"I'm the type of guy who hates to tell people 'no,'" he said. "I have to tell some awesome people who I've made great relationships with, 'no.' I hope it doesn't end relationships with coaches because I love to keep relationships with people."

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Asa Martin sent shockwaves through the Yellowhammer State on Thursday.

The No. 10 running back in the nation committed to Auburn over Alabama, Clemson and Florida. He announced during a ceremony at his high school in Decatur, Ala., via an AL.com commitment video. Martin becomes the 13th commitment in Auburn’s 2018 recruiting class.

He has said since the spring that scheme fit would be a big influence on his ultimate decision. That ended up being the case, electing to be a part of Chip Lindsey’s offense that is expected to get running backs more involved in the passing game.

“I like the new offense,” Martin told SEC Country. “They threw the ball down the field to the running backs a couple times [in the spring game and practices]. They’re letting guys make plays on the ball like that. I feel like I can catch the ball down the field real well. That’s what really stood out to me.”

Auburn’s move to land Martin wasn’t easy.

When the Tigers offered in the spring, they were on the outside looking in with Florida as the most likely program to land him. But Auburn closed the gap thanks to Martin and his mother’s growing relationship with Lindsey.

Then Alabama offered, which is always a tough pass for a top in-state running back.

But the decision came down to fit and relationships. Whenever Martin started to think about his options, he kept going back to the recruiting relationships he’d created with some of Auburn’s top commits, specifically quarterback Joey Gatewood and freshman safety Jordyn Peters.

Martin saw himself fitting in more comfortably on-field and off-field at Auburn rather than his No. 2 school, Alabama.

“They just contacted me a bunch to come be a part of it,” Martin said. “They think they’re going to do something special, and I think so too. All the guys they have and the guys they have committed, including Joey, I really talk to him a bunch now. I was talking to Jordyn. We both come from this (north Alabama) area. Just going to play at Auburn together would be really fun, really special. I really enjoyed mine and his conversation.”

Martin joins Shaun Shivers as the two running backs in the 2018 class. With Martin’s decision, the Tigers move up to the No. 23 recruiting class in the 247Sports composite. Auburn jumped Louisville, Oklahoma State, Alabama, Baylor, Virginia Tech and Georgia in the team rankings.

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1. He provided a highlight basketball play against another major Auburn football target in last year’s state tournament.

That’s right. Asa Martin is a stud on the hardwood, too.

In last year’s 6A basketball state semifinals, Austin High School faced off against Bryant High School. Martin starred for Austin. Auburn wide receiver target Seth Williams was a standout for Bryant.

Williams, known for above-the-rim prowess, went up for a dunk. Martin met him as he jumped and pinned his shot against the backboard. Williams and Bryant ended up pulling out the semifinals win on their way to a state championship, but Martin’s block wasn’t forgotten.

Let’s put this into some context.

Williams is 6-foot-4 and earned state medals in the high jump and long jump. Martin stands 5-foot-11. In other words, Martin showed some pretty serious athleticism against another offensive prospect who could end up choosing Auburn.

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3. He spent a season at IMG Academy.

For Martin’s junior year, he went down to Bradenton, Fla., to be a part of the powerhouse football program — a high honor.

Martin was a standout for IMG Academy before returning home to finish up his career at Austin. During his time in Florida, Martin rushed for 372 yards and 4 touchdowns on 49 carries. He snagged 17 catches for 325 yards.

Those numbers, against some of the nation’s top competition, show the versatility Auburn expects him to bring to its new-look offense. His ability to catch passes out of the backfield seems to be a perfect match for how offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey utilizes running backs in the passing game.

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