Trey Martin

Physical Profile

Listed at 5-10, 200 lbs. Taller than 21% and heavier than 46% of 2027 Running Back prospects in the SEC Scouts database (24 with a listed size).

Play Style

Martin is a one-cut, downhill back who hits the hole decisively and speeds up once he's through the second level. His film shows a player who breaks the first tackle and is gone. He runs with a forward lean, keeps his pad level low to absorb glancing contact, and has the burst to beat pursuit angles. He is a natural receiver out of the backfield who tracks the ball well and becomes a running back again after the catch. His return work shows vision on the move. His safety experience shows up in how willing he is to deliver contact at the end of runs rather than stepping out of bounds.

Strengths

• Big-play efficiency: as a junior he ran 115 times for 1,310 yards (11.4 per carry) and 26 touchdowns, scoring on roughly one of every 4.4 carries. His senior year started faster: 474 yards and 11 touchdowns in the first two games, including a 342-yard, 5-touchdown game at 15.5 yards per carry.
• Receiving value: 17 catches for 277 yards (16.3 per catch) and 5 touchdowns as a junior, so he is a real threat on screens, swings and wheel routes, not just a check-down option. That is a key requirement in Lane Kiffin's spread-RPO system.
• Burst in the open field and return ability: against Airline he scored six touchdowns, with runs of 24, 28, 23, 47 and 72 yards plus an 85-yard kickoff return. He finishes runs in space.
• Physical, two-way toughness: experience at safety shows he is willing to take and give contact, which should carry over to pass protection and running through tackles.
• Scheme familiarity: he has a long relationship with Kiffin and running backs coach Kevin Smith that dates back to their time at Ole Miss. That should mean a smoother transition and a clear plan for how he'll be used.

Areas to Improve

• Pass protection: like most high school feature backs who get the ball on nearly every snap, he will need to learn to identify blitzers, set his feet and square up against SEC linebackers before he can be trusted on third down.
• Consistency between the tackles against college-sized fronts: much of his production came from breakaway runs against Class 3A/4A defenses. He needs to show patience, press the line and take what is blocked when the big lanes close.
• Verified speed and workload data: there are no confirmed laser times, and his junior carry total (115) is modest. Whether he can handle 18-20 carries a game in the SEC is still unproven.
• Ball security and route detail, both of which need to be refined as he takes on a bigger receiving role (option routes and choice routes from the backfield).

College Projection

He projects as a rotational back in LSU's 2027 room, which also includes fellow 2027 commits Trey Segarra (4-star) and Brennan Lacy. Expect special-teams snaps (kickoff return) and roughly 5-8 touches a game as a true freshman if he enrolls early and holds up in pass protection. By year two, his combination of power and receiving ability makes him a strong candidate to be the lead or 1B back in a committee. His best-case path is a 1,000-yard-caliber starter by his third season, the point at which draft-eligible backs usually leave.

NFL Outlook

He fits the modern NFL running back mold: roughly 5-10 to 5-11 and 205-215 pounds, with production as a receiver and returner. That broad skill set is what gets running backs drafted on Day 2 or 3 rather than as undrafted free agents. His draft stock will depend on confirming his speed (a 40 in the low 4.4s or better would help a lot), improving in pass protection, and handling a heavy SEC workload. A realistic ceiling is a Day 2 pick after three productive seasons. The floor is a Day 3 back whose special-teams value keeps him on a roster.

Best Fit

A spread, RPO-heavy offense that gets backs into space on outside zone, split-zone and screen concepts, and uses them as receivers from the backfield and out of empty formations. That is exactly the Kiffin/Kevin Smith system at LSU. A program that rotates backs to keep them fresh and uses them on kickoff returns will get the most out of his big-play ability early, while he develops in pass protection before becoming a three-down starter.