Top 30 Most Overlooked High School Recruits to Go Pro Since 2000
By Zach Bigalke
Doug Martin is yet another testament to the ability of Boise State to find hidden gems and develop them into stars. As a two-sport letterman at St. Mary’s High School in Stockton, California, Martin rushed for nearly 3200 yards and 32 touchdowns in his junior and senior years. Though he was ranked among the two-star recruits at running back, Martin did receive some interest from Pac-10 schools California and Oregon State. Instead, Martin decided to play for Chris Petersen and the Broncos.
Arriving in Idaho the season after the historic win over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl, Martin redshirted his first year of college. Taking the field in 2008, Martin did not receive much playing time during his first two seasons as he bided his time behind first Ian Johnson and then Jeremy Avery on the depth chart. After notching 15 rushing touchdowns in 2009, he took over the lead duties in the backfield as a junior. With the Broncos going 24-2 in his final two years, Martin helped Boise State transition from the WAC to the Mountain West before exhausting his eligibility. After amassing over 4000 yards and 48 total touchdowns, Martin was selected 31st overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2012 NFL Draft.