UCLA Football Recruiting: 3-Star TE Michael Martinez Commits to the Bruins

UCLA has had a quiet recruiting period so far in 2019, but the ball is starting to get rolling. Last week the Bruins picked up their first QB commitment in the class with Chase Griffin, and now they have their second commitment in two weeks with the commitment of Michael Martinez.

Martinez is a 3-star Tight End prospect according to 247Sports’s composite rankings. The composite rankings have him as the 23rd best tight end in the country, along with being California’s 62nd ranked recruit overall. At 6 feet 6 inches and weighing 246 pounds, Martinez is a big body, but he’s very agile and moves well in space, making him a nightmare mismatch for opposing defenses. Martinez plays for SoCal powerhouse Mater Dei, which has to have helped with his development.

Martinez has long been considered a UCLA lean, having visited a few practices this spring to check in with the new coaching staff. Still, his recruitment blew up over the past few months, as impressive camp performances has led to Martinez picking up offers from premiere programs like Alabama, LSU, Michigan, and less premiere programs like USC. So it’s a good sign that, with all of that extra attention, Martinez still chose to go with the UCLA Bruins.

The interesting thing with Martinez moving forward is where he ends up in college. As stated, he moves extremely well with his big body, but that same body has some experts thinking he could continue to grow (he’s only 16 right now) and may end up as an offensive or defensive lineman down the road. That upside and potential versatility will be incredibly important to the rebuilding Bruins.

Here are Michael Martinez’s junior season highlights, courtesy of Hudl:

Welcome to Westwood, Michael!

Go Bruins!