Michigan Football: Breaking down commitment of 4-star LB Tyler Martin

Michigan football landed a commitment from 2022 linebacker Tyler Martin Friday and here’s what the Wolverines are getting.

It’s been a rough couple of weeks for fans of Michigan football recruiting and on Friday, the Wolverines got some much-needed good news in the form of a commitment.

The newest pledge comes in the 2022 class and it’s from Massachusetts linebacker Tyler Martin, who is ranked as a four-star prospect in the 247 composite rankings. He’s 10th among inside linebackers and No. 271 overall.

Martin announced the decision on his Twitter account.

Martin is the former teammate of current Michigan football player Zak Zinter and he was reeled in largely by Don Brown, who has done an incredible job of recruiting in the Northeast.

The Wolverines were the first school to offer Martin, a 6-foot-3, 235-pound inside linebacker that fits the mold of an old-school football player. He’s an in the box sorta dude

Martin isn’t the kind of player that flashes tons of speed and quickness on tape, but he has incredible instincts and a nose for the football. He’s also a very reliable tackler and just has a knack for avoiding blockers. 247 sports projects him as a future starter.

Here’s more of his scouting report from Brian Dohn:

"“Strong, thick build ideal for inside linebacker. Can bulk up and play on the defensive line or can drop weight and play linebacker. Has mentality to play inside the box as a linebacker. Strength is already an asset. Plays physical with little wasted movement. Sorts through traffic to get to ball carrier. Takes on blocks and disengages well. Intelligent player. Prepares well. Top end spend a concern. Has to show he can get to the edge against elite competition. Work on lateral movement is needed. Improvement needed in depth drops in coverage. Power 5 starter.”"

It sounds like Martin will be used as an inside linebacker for the Wolverines and he could easily fit into either position down the road.

Some have even speculated that he could grow into a defensive end at some point. But as long as he stays around his current weight, he will be an ideal Big Ten linebacker.

Certainly, teams will try to take advantage of him in coverage and while his instincts will help there too, he needs to work on his footwork and dropped a little weight wouldn’t hurt.

Either way, it’s a much-needed commitment and now the second in the class of 2022. He’s the kind of guy that would have fit perfectly in the Wisconsin game a year ago and that’s the kind of hard-nosed linebacker the Wolverines are getting.