2023 Notre Dame CB Target Cole Martin "Perfect Example" Of Coach's Kid

Tucson Turf head coach Toby Bourguet says if you know coaches’ kids, it won’t take you long to realize elite 2023 Arizona cornerback Cole Martin‍ is just that.

“When you're around it and you're around leadership your whole life, I think you tend to learn from that and say some of the things that you've heard over and over and over again,” says Bourguet, who coaches his own son, 2023 quarterback Treyson Bourget. “Cole was definitely a product of that environment where he's been around his dad enough to where the stuff he's preaching, Cole has picked up on and actually taken it to heart. So that's good to see.

“He's a perfect example of a coach's kid. He brings it, he's very intense. And on that field, he's a true, true leader. He's a football kid.”

Martin’s father is Colorado cornerbacks coach Demetrice Martin, who has also spent time in recent years at Arizona, UCLA and Washington.

The younger Martin certainly has the physical skills as well, which is why his offer sheet currently includes the likes of Notre Dame, Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State, USC, Oregon, LSU, Texas, Texas A&M and Florida State among many others.

“Cole is a very, very gifted athlete as everybody knows,” says Bourguet. “He's really, really strong and he's a fit kid, but his deal is his moxie. The kid has just got it. He's a true, true leader. He's vocal and he's a very, very physical young man. He uses that physicality well.

“But most importantly, he's a coach on the field. He's letting guys know, he's listening, he's coachable. He's got a lot of really, really good things going for him. We really love having Cole around. I spent some time with the Honey Badger and he's very much like that. He's really gifted physically and obviously can play the game, but more than that, he's just an incredible leader.”

Bourguet says he needs to rein that physicality in at times to minimize penalties.

“He doesn't play dirty, but he plays very physical and a little bit too physical at times for 7s, which we accept,” the coach says. “You can't take the dogs out of these kids just because we're playing 7s. Again, I don't want anybody to cheap shot anybody, that's unacceptable, but the way he plays, his style, he's just a physical, physical kid.”

Bourguet says his program stresses many of the same values as Notre Dame.

“I don't want to say it's parallel to a Notre Dame, I think that's crazy because that's very rare,” he says. “But Tucson turf is bigger than any one player will ever be. Like Bijan Robinson, Lathan Ransom, those types, it doesn't matter. We're a team that is winning with and without you, we're going to compete with the best out there and kids realize that.

“If you're more focused on your likes and your backflips and the shenanigans, you're in the wrong place because we just don't tolerate it. We're not trying to do all that. We're trying to go out and be respectful.”

Bourguet uses longtime Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald as a role model for the players in his program.

“That's the type of stuff we're trying to emulate. We want to have fun, there's no doubt about it. I don't want the kids to go out and act like robots. This is the offseason, it's supposed to be fun, but you can do that in a way without humiliating your opponent or doing anything above and beyond your own celebration.”