Notre Dame Football: 3-star recruits who had big impacts under Brian Kelly

By Brad Weiss | Apr 24, 2021

NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 28: DUPLICATE***Tommy Rees #11 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish passes during the New Era Pinstripe Bowl against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Yankee Stadium on December 28, 2013 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images) /

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Nick Martin(Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Notre Dame Football: 3-star recruits who had big impacts under Brian Kelly

2011: Nick Martin

After playing as a reserve for his first two seasons in South Bend, Nick Martin became one of the better offensive linemen for head coach Brian Kelly in his final two seasons with the Irish. Playing alongside his brother, Zack, Martin would battle back from a season-ending injury during the 2013 college football season, only to be named a captain in 2014.

Once engrained as a starter for Kelly, Martin dominated up front, playing both center and guard, and eventually becoming a captain. A key on an Irish defense that absolutely ran over people, Martin would be a three-time All-Independent selection and would play so well that he became a second-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.

After playing the beginning of his career with the Houston Texans, the team that drafted him No. 50 overall in 2016, Martin landed in Sin City with the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason. He is expected to take over for Rodney Hudson as the Raiders’ center in 2021, bringing stability and experience to the position while replacing a legend.

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