Gorman QB Tate Martell (18) is congratulated for a great game by a coach on the sidelines as the clock winds down on Liberty during their Division 1 State Football Championship game at Sam Boyd Stadium on Saturday, December 5, 2015.
Thursday, May 5, 2016 | 7:07 a.m.
Bishop Gorman High quarterback Tate Martell took to social media Wednesday night to announce he’s decommitting from Texas A&M and opening his recruitment. Ohio State has pursued him hard in recent weeks, and the Buckeyes will surely be in consideration.
Martell, a class of 2017 prospect who quarterbacked Gorman to back-to-back undefeated seasons and mythical national championships, is rated by evaluating sites as one of the nation’s top recruits. He committed to Texas A&M last fall — some 18 months before he could sign a national letter of intent.
He was still able to be recruited by other schools, and rightfully so. Teens frequently have a change of heart, and universities control everything once an athlete officially signs.
So, now, Martell is a free agent — again. As a 13-year-old middle school student, he made national headlines by committing to Washington. Today, he’s also the talk nationally. So is Texas A&M.
Texas A&M assistant coach Aaron Moorehead took to Twitter hours after Martell decommitted with choice words. Per NCAA rules, he can’t comment about a recruit specifically. But he surely was talking about Martell.
“People talk about leadership and this generation flip flops like its nothing. That's a real issue. My dad would have whipped my ass,” Moorehead posted in one of multiple tweets.
His reaction caused Mannie Netherly, one of Texas A&M’s top wide receiver recruits, to decommit, too.
“After tonight, I see what kind of person my “future coach” is and I don’t want to play for someone like that,” Netherly wrote.
Some could have criticized Martell from decommitting a second time. But, because of the Moorehead's heat-of-the-moment social media posts, it’s the adults who are taking the heat.
In addition to Ohio State, Martell has been recruited or offered a scholarship by most major schools. He picked Texas A&M over Michigan, Alabama, USC and others.
National signing day, when Martell can officially commit to a school, is in February.
Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21
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