ASU head football coach Kenny Dillingham has preached time and again that the elite football players can make a great career on and off the field in Tempe.
Whether it’s coming out of high school or returning via the transfer portal, Dillingham has touted the city’s size, resources, climate and football program as a destination. He’s taken big swings to try to get the state’s best to stay home but has also not been shy about welcoming them with open arms should they be looking for a new home down the line.
Defensive back Cole Martin is one of the first to follow that path. Martin was one of the top players in the state in the class of 2023. He was on college radars as a freshman at Hamilton, and remained on that trajectory throughout his prep career, which was capped off with a state championship with the Basha Bears.
He had committed to Oregon and saw the field quite a bit as a true freshman on a team that made it to the Fiesta Bowl. But he felt the draw to come home and play for the Sun Devils.
Martin caught up with Sports360AZ to talk about why the Sun Devils stood out, playing for defensive coordinator Brian Ward and his message to other Arizona prep standouts past and present on what Tempe can offer.
