California Commit Justyn Martin Visits Oxford For Rebels' Blowout Of Tulane
Eyes across the nation have settled in on Oxford, Mississippi when discussing college football quarterbacks.
For starters, Ole Miss has a Heisman contender under center in the 2021 season in Matt Corral. Corral has thrown for 997 yards and nine touchdowns in his first three games of the season and rushed for five scores.
There's also the talk concerning 2023 quarterback Arch Manning out of Isidore Newman (La.). The name "Manning" is synonymous with talented quarterbacks in the SEC, and two of them, Archie and Eli, went to Ole Miss.
Finally, however, there's the question about who will take over the reins of the Rebel offense once Corral likely finds himself drafted into the NFL next spring. That's a question mark Lane Kiffin has to remedy, and he brought in a potential answer last Saturday when his team routed Tulane in Oxford 61-21.
READ MORE: Through the Lens: A Photographer's View From Ole Miss' 61-21 Blowout Over Tulane
Justyn Martin is a 6-foot-4, 210-pound signal-caller out of Inglewood (Ca.) and is currently committed to Cal to further his academic and athletic career. The young quarterback unofficially visited Ole Miss over the weekend and spent some time around some key figures in the program, including Matt Corral.
Corral happens to be from the same state and area as Martin, so, naturally, the adjustment from California life to Mississippi came up in conversation.
"It was a great experience talking to Matt, especially with his background coming from California," Martin said. "He had to adapt to it but he is happy with his decision and thinks that Ole Miss is a great place for quarterbacks."
Corral isn't the only person at Ole Miss with California ties, and should Martin flip to Ole Miss, he likes what he learned about the adjustment.
"[Corral] came from Poly, and that's like a 30-minute drive from where I'm from," Martin said. "Just seeing how he adapted to playing in the South, living there, playing in the SEC, it makes me feel better about the whole decision. Coach Kiffin with his California background, too, it's like showing that California players and people can really thrive in that environment."
And thrive they have. Kiffin and Corral have landed Ole Miss at No. 13 in the latest installment of the AP Poll heading into a bye week before traveling to Tuscaloosa to face Alabama on Oct. 2.
Alabama is known for being at or near the top of the college football world year-in and year-out, but Martin believes that Ole Miss is a program and location where strong expectations can produce even stronger results.
"Talking to Coach Kiffin and Coach Lebby most of the trip, it really was high level play all-around," Martin said. "The entire facility, the entire town really, was about elite football.
"The people there were very welcoming and they love football. That's the culture of the town, football. If you're interested in playing high-level football, that's pretty much the spot to be."
Outside of the staff and town of Oxford, Martin was attracted to the style of offense he saw Ole Miss put on display against Tulane on Saturday. The Rebels had 40 points at halftime and finished the night with 61. In 2021, Ole Miss is averaging 52.67 points per game.
"I liked how they ran Matt [Corral] a lot," Martin said. "He's not a big guy or the fastest guy, and they put him in positions to show he's capable of running. I like how they used his feet and they like to score from far, which they did like three times. It was a complete offense that I just really liked."
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