Martin’s change big help for the Blackshirts

Eric Martin has decided to change his primary position from linebacker to defensive end to help the depth of the Blackshirts.

Martin came to Nebraska from Moreno Valley, CA, at Rancho Verde High School, where as a sophomore he has voted the top underclass linebacker in the Southern California Nike Camp.  He came in as a freshman with an immediate shock and awe factor from the word go.  Martin made a name for himself on special teams, especially kickoff, where he became known for his devastating hits, that made you want to watch every kickoff.  He also blocked two punts in his freshman year, with one of them being returned for a touchdown.  He had become the first Husker to block two punts in a season since Lannie Hopkins blocked three in 2002.

Martin had a lot of high expectations coming into his sophomore season.  Martin got the opportunity to start at will linebacker two games that year due to injuries to Will Compton and Sean Fisher.  He started the first Washington game and against South Dakota State, in the Washington he recorded his career high in tackles in a game with 6.  However, once Compton and Fisher got healthy, Martin went back to his usually roll as a special team specialist.  He lead the team in special team tackles with 13, all of them on kickoff.

With starter Pierre Allen graduating last year, the amount of experience is lacking on the rest of the depth chart.  Junior Cameron Meredith returns as a starter from last season where he had 64 tackles, 8 of them for loss, and 1.5 sacks.  Meredith is expected to have another promising year, he has improved with each year he has played, playing as a freshman really helped him.  Junior Josh Williams was the only other defensive end that played in more than two games last year.  Williams played in 13 games last year, where he totaled 12 tackles and 1 forced fumble.  After those two players, the competition is wide open, and you never know, Martin maybe able to beat out Williams for the starting job.

Martin is known for his speed, which makes you think he will primarily be used a rush end, probably in third and long situations.  Martin could provide a nice ripple to the defense, by making the zone blitzes more effective because he could drop back into coverage like his natural position of linebacker.  It looks like Meredith and Williams will probably be the starters this Fall, but Martin will be right on their heels as their back up.

Written by Greg Ling