In-state running back Michael Martin has been a fairly frequent visitor to Clemson over the past year or so.

Sure, it’s a short drive from where he roams the high school fields for Christ Church, but that isn’t the thing that really keeps drawing him back.

Martin took multiple game day visits last fall and returned for the Underclass Experience in March. He was back in June for camp and when the Tigers kicked off the season at home against LSU, Martin was once again on hand.

“Obviously, the atmosphere was amazing,” Martin told The Clemson Insider. “The atmosphere was just amazing. The night game, the crowd, everything was lit up. The whole night. Even afterwards. Everything was amazing. We got home at three o’clock in the morning.”

The top in-state running back in the 2028 class per Prep Red Zone, Martin has gotten his season off to a sizzling start, rushing for three touchdowns in each of his first two games. He was told by members of the coaching staff, including head coach Dabo Swinney, running backs coach CJ Spiller, and assistant running backs coach Andrew Zow, that he was the only back from his class on hand for the primetime matchup.

And as much as he’s already visited, the staff reminded him that he has an open invitation.

“I spoke with coach Spiller and coach Zow again. I spoke with Dabo in the locker room,” Martin said. “Just to keep coming back anytime. They liked my film from (last) Friday. And that I was the only ’28 running back there.”

Being the only running back from his class to attend, Martin felt like a real priority, even if Clemson won’t start offering players in his class until next summer.

“They showed me a lot of love,” Martin added. “They sat down with me one-on-one at the running back table with me and my dad. Just a lot of love from the coaches.”

Syracuse, Duke, NC State, Vanderbilt and Tennessee are some of the other schools Martin is planning to visit this season. As he continues to take these early visits, he has a couplem of specific things he’s looking for.

“Just building a relationship with the coaches,” he said. “And what they offer outside of football. Majors, and what they offer outside of football for me and my future.”

Syracuse, Wake Forest and Rhode Island are the first three schools to offer the explosive 5-foot-9, 185-pound running back, and the deeper he gets into his sophomore season, the more schools that are expected to be added to that list.

However, it’s Clemson that has the sentimental pull. And not just because of proximity. Martin feels there is something unique that separates the Tigers from the rest of the pack.

“Clemson is just different,” Martin said. “Coach Spiller, coach Zow, I speak with them every week on the phone. And the PAW Journey. Really, because of those two things, it just stacks Clemson high up there on the charts.

Photo by Bart Boatwright