Star Recruit Chris Martin Is 'Going Home'

SOUTH BEND, Ind -- Chris Martin is going away to college. At the same time he's coming home. In the end that may have been the deciding factor for the five-star defensive end.

Coveted by the likes of USC, Florida, Oklahoma and Notre Dame, to whom he verbally committed last February, Martin has now let it be known that he will sign with Cal. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound Martin, who is living with an older cousin in Aurora, Colo., during his senior year, will play his college ball just 10 minutes from where he grew up in San Leandro, Calif.

"It was the best situation for him, to be close with his family," Martin's cousin, Deshaun Shewl, told FanHouse Monday night. "He made his mom really happy."

Martin visited the Berkeley campus this weekend and by Sunday night he was texting reporters that he was headed to Cal. Martin made a verbal commitment to the Fighting Irish last winter but he had always made it clear that if Charlie Weis was fired that he might reopen his recruitment. By mid-November, with Weis in jeopardy of losing his job, it appeared that Martin was headed to the Sooners.

Instead, he is headed home. On Monday night, as Martin wolfed down a plate of chicken, his cousin and mentor took the phone and expounded on the reasons for the choice.

"Going home was important," Shewl said. "They also play a 3-4 defense, which suits him better."

Brian Kelly, whose hiring was announced just last Friday, has not phoned Martin. But, according to Shewl, a plethora of coaches from other schools have continued calling Martin even after he made his latest verbal commitment. Are they wasting their time?

"It's over," said Shewl. "Chris is going home."

Did Texas placekicker Hunter Lawrence not only save the Longhorns' BCS title game hopes but also accelerate and/or facilitate Brian Kelly's "transition" to Notre Dame? Lawrence, you will recall, kicked the game-winning field goal with :01 remaining in the Big 12 Championship game to vault Texas past Nebraska, 13-12, and into the BCS championship game.

Had Lawrence missed -- and the kick just fell inside the left goalpost by a matter of inches -- Cincinnati would likely have faced Alabama for the national championship. Kelly, appearing on WBBL radio on Monday, was asked if Notre Dame would have given him a month to coach the Bearcats in the BCS Championship game had Texas lost.

"That's a great question," Kelly said, chuckling.

"If you're in the national title game, you can't walk away from Cincinnati, right?" asked the host.

"I can't," said Kelly. "I can't. I'm being honest with you."

As to the original question, Kelly later said, "I don't know that we'll ever know (if the Irish would have waited for him), I don't know if Jack Swarbrick would answer the question."

The Irish may not land a Chris Martin for the 2010 team photo, but chances are good that they will land a Chuck Martin. The latter Martin, 40, spent Saturday coaching his team, Grand Valley State, in the Division II national championship game in Florence, Ala (the Lakers lost, 30-23).

Martin, a south side Chicago-bred Irish Catholic, was Kelly's defensive coordinator in their four seasons together at Grand Valley. He has made no secret of having an interest in returning to work for his former boss. Expect Kelly to name his staff by week's end.

Oddly enough, no matter which Martin-or both-ends up in South Bend, their name already appears in big red lights locally. The most prevalent and popular supermarket chain in the area is named Martin's -- in fact, Weis went shopping there just last weekend.

Notre Dame currently has two verbal commits who are on the roster of the U.S. Army High School All-American Bowl in San Antonio and three others in the Under Armour All-America Game in Orlando. Offensive tackle Christian Lombard (Chicago) and defensive end Blake Lueders (Zionsville, Ind.) are slated to play in the former. For the latter cornerback Toney Hurd, Jr. (Missouri City, Texas), wideout Tai-ler Jones (Gainesville, Ga.) and defensive tackle Louis Nix (Jacksonville, Fla.) have signed on to appear.