Jacksonville, Arkansas defensive tackle Tyas Martin was in Knoxville last weekend for the final recruiting weekend before March. He left Rocky Top very impressed by the orange and white Volunteers. "I enjoyed everything," Martin said. "All the big facilities and the field and everything. The coaching staff showed me a lot of love. It was a great time."
Martin spent a good amount of time with new tight ends coach Joe Osovet. Osovet has hammered home the need for big athletic linemen on the defensive front and Martin has been listening. "I feel like I bring energy and relentless effort," Martin said. "I want to get better with my speed and flexibility. I'm always working on those things and working on my conditioning."
Texas, Georgia, Oklahoma and most of the Big 12 have been after Martin. He enjoying the recruiting process as he works toward finding the right school for him. "It's a hard process, but it's also fun," Martin said. "You get to meet some great people and see a lot of cool places. The hard part is just thinking about finding the right fit because there are so many good schools."
Martin hopes to get back to Knoxville sometime later this spring. It's a school that has quickly emerged and one that is standing out as winter winds down. "Definitely I'll be back," Martin said. "I like the academics here and how they take pride in that. Their staff knows a lot about the game and that's impressive."
And his time around the Tennessee staff has shown him that he has found a group of men that he believes in. "I like how they carry themselves at Tennessee," Martin said. "How they care and it's like a family here. They care a lot about their players. They take a lot of pride in that."
Martin will visit several places in the coming months, but he knows what he is looking for in a future football home. "I think somewhere I can come in and play right away," Martin said. "Somewhere that shows me it's like a family and a place I have a good relationship with the coaches."
