Garrett Martin finds the perfect home at Kansas
Garrett Martin always knew Kansas was at the top of his list. He felt strong enough about it, he told the coaching staff before his official visit he wanted to commit.
Martin announced his commitment on Sunday morning but gave his verbal commitment a few days before the official visit.
“I silently committed to Kansas before my official visit,” Martin said. “I just wanted to announce it on my official visit.”
Although Martin had it in his mind Kansas was the school for him, it was the official visit that sealed everything. It gave him an opportunity to meet with Taiwo Onatolu and get a feel from the players.
“Meeting with Coach Onatolu that really changed my whole perspective,” he said. “I was like, yeah, I'm down for sure this is home. That sealed the deal. That position meeting was amazing. We covered everything. He's an amazing coach and an amazing guy. We're going to do great things at Kansas.”
Martin got a local feel from the players because his host was Deshawn Warner. They are both defensive ends from Arizona and clicked on the visit.
“I've known DJ for a while, and he’s a great dude,” Martin said. “He's a great player and a great guy. As the host, he showed me everything. It was super cool. He definitely helped out a lot. Going back to his dorm we would play video games and talk to all the other players. It was an amazing experience. I got really close with a lot of my future teammates.”
He maintained loyalty was something he looked for in a coaching staff.
“What really stood out was the coaching staff and how close they are,” Martin said. “I mean, this coaching staff has been together, and they are staying here. That's the biggest thing. That's a big reason why I committed. Coaches have a standard that they're not going nowhere. Definitely the culture here where he was just outstanding.”
Another plus for Martin is the fact he has family nearby. His uncle, aunt and cousins live in Overland Park. He said it is a relief to pick the right school and be close to family.
“Honestly it is such a relief having this process be done for me,” he said. “Trust me, I am very blessed. I've gone through this process, and it was stressful. It was very stressful for me and my family. But now I have found the perfect home and I'm so ecstatic.
“I just got off the phone with my aunt. We were just talking as soon as I come out here and get time off, she lives 30 minutes away. I can go drive over there, spend time with her sometime. My family I haven't seen in a while, and that's super cool. This is so special to me.”