High Riser: Stock of East Ascension’s Brysten Martinez has increased to match that of immense size, talent
by: William Weathers // GeauxPreps.com Contributor
There’s always been a sense of accomplishment involved with driving opposing players into the turf that appealed to East Ascension offensive tackle Brysten Martinez from a young age.
Now that he’s a rising four-star prospect headed into his junior season, the aggressive, physical play from the 6-foot-6, 290-pound Martinez hasn’t gone unnoticed. ESPN has rated him as the No. 27 overall player and No. 4 offensive tackle, and he’s the state’s No. 4 player in the Class of 2026 according to both ESPN and On3Sports.
“It’s like once you play it so much, you get a thrill of smashing people in the mouth,” said Martinez, a two-year starter at left tackle at East Ascension. “I started playing football when I was 4 and I’ve always been a lineman my whole life.”
Growing up with an older brother, Martinez said, proved beneficial in having to be assertive in the family household. He was also blessed with good genetics on both sides of his family, having grandfathers that stand 6-5 and 6-4, respectively, and his father (Oscar) and mother (Kandace) are 6-3 and 5-11.
“The first thing I do when I looked into the job, I go into MaxPreps and see what’s coming back and what’s leaving,” East Ascension football coach Brock Matherne, who was hired in January. “I see a 6-6, 300-pound sophomore. I said, ‘What’? Most of the time when I’ve had a kid that big at other schools, he can’t really play football or pans out.”
Seven months into the job, Matherne feels fortunate to have coached one of the best offensive linemen in his brief career.
He said coaches representing 36 Division I schools were out in full force in the spring to catch a glimpse of the mammoth Martinez, who has watched his scholarship total climb to 26 this summer.
“I tell this to all of the college coaches, he’s probably the most athletic kid in the school,” Matherne said. “If we had another kid his size that could play tackle, he would play tight end for us. He probably has the strongest arm, could throw the ball the farthest.”
Martinez was a three-sport athlete, having played basketball and baseball to add to his portfolio, but has since put down his glove and spikes to focus on basketball and football – a pair of sports that have worked in concert to enhance his skills.
“I’ve played basketball my whole life,” said Martinez, who averaged 10 points and 5 rebounds for East Ascension last season. “I had to be coordinated to play both and my feet are quick.”
Rankings don’t fluster Martinez
Martinez hasn’t basked in the glow of the additional recruiting attention that’s been heaped upon him. Since rocketing up the national rankings – going from unranked as a sophomore to No. 4 nationally since March – he’s remained unfazed by the notoriety that’s followed over the past four months.
His priorities have remained unchanged: improve individually, be a team leader, and then embrace recruiting-related opportunities.
“I have a commitment to this team,” he said. “I’m too much of a leader for me not to be at workouts. My teammates feed off that energy. I try to be here as much as I can. This has been one of the most enjoyable off-seasons since I’ve been here. This is going to be a fun year.”
Matherne said Martinez has been the perfect example of a team-first standout who will also play defensive line this season.
“Since I got here, he’s been extremely humble and quiet,” Matherne said. “He doesn’t really love all of the attention. He’s about the team and wants to win, it’s not about him. When college coaches come in, he still wants to get his work in.
“In these six or seven months, he’s gotten better in the weight room,” Matherne said. “His maturity has sunken in, and he understands the situation he’s in. He understands the role he can play on this team. Overall, he’s just an awesome kid to be around. I’m glad he’s on our team.”
Matherne will unveil an offense that will complement the skill of Martinez who excels as a straight-ahead run blocker. He also possesses the ability to pull and seal defenders, coupled with the agility to get downfield and block in the team’s screen game.
During the team’s spring game, Cecilia head coach Dennis Skains – a close friend of Matherne’s – suggested all the Spartans had to do was run behind Martinez the entire time.
“We had a lot of college coaches here in the spring,” Matherne said. “He had a phenomenal spring. He showed his ability to block in the open field, get downfield in the screen game. He showed what we already knew when the college coaches came in.”
Martinez a bright spot in a forgettable year
There weren’t a lot of highlights in East Ascension’s 3-7 season in 2023, but Martinez ranked among them. The combination of game film from his sophomore season, coupled with additional film of the spring, led to an increase in Martinez’s profile. College coaches also flocked to the Ascension Parish school to watch him either work out in the weight room or practice.
He’s no longer under the radar.
“This started at the end of my freshman year going into the summer and then the spring workouts,” Martinez said of his rankings surge. “I just shot up. I hadn’t been to any big camps to help the rankings. It was film. I had coaches coming in left and right. At first, I didn’t know how to do it (make a highlight tape), but then I did it and coaches saw it, and the offers started coming in.”
Since his first scholarship offer from Florida State last April, Martinez’s total has ballooned to 26. Among that group are LSU, Baylor, Georgia, Missouri, Mississippi State, Penn State, TCU, Tennessee, and Texas Tech.
“I remember when coach (former EA coach Darnell Lee) sent me the text message that Florida State had offered,” Martinez said. “I was just looking at it and couldn’t believe it. It was almost like an out-of-body experience. For Florida State to be my first offer, it made me want to work even harder. I didn’t know I was on the level yet. I always thought I was one of the lower-level kids.
“Having all of these offers shows that you’re not different from anyone else,” Martinez said. “There are people from across the country that can get more offers. I keep my dedication. I’m not a cocky person which is how my parents raised me. I never bring up the offers and just get to work. Rankings don’t matter. I’m not into all of that, I don’t check them.”
Value for offensive tackles soars
Matherne’s done his best to motivate and keep Martinez’s eyes on the big picture. Because he’s been such a self-starter, it hasn’t always been easy for Matherne to find something Martinez could latch onto until seeing the news last March when offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. signed a free agent contract worth $64 million over four years with the Cincinnati Bengals.
“I brought that up on my (computer) screen and showed him,” Matherne said. “I told him to invest in himself for the next six to eight years. There’s going to be another Brysten Martinez next to you. What’s going to separate you from being just the biggest and most talented guy in high school? I tried to explain that the work you put in now will carry over to the next level.”
Martinez was already a big fan of San Francisco 49ers’ Trent Williams, a veteran offensive tackle who’s been a key part of the team’s offensive success. He’s a versatile player with the kind of game Martinez patterns himself after at a position that’s significantly increased in value.
Next to wide receiver (8), offensive linemen (7) – one more than quarterback – were the players most in demand in the 2024 NFL Draft with Joe Alt of Notre Dame going fifth overall to the Los Angeles Chargers.
Four offensive linemen were among the top 18 selections in the draft that commanded contracts ranging from Alt ($33 million) to Georgia’s Amarius Mims of the Cincinnati Bengals at No. 18 ($15 million).
Moreover, the Dallas Cowboys paid offensive tackle Tyron Smith $20 million for one season in free agency followed by Mike Oweno of the New England Patriots ($57 million over three years) and Jonah Williams of the Arizona Cardinals ($30 million for two years).
“I’ve just got to keep grinding,” Martinez said. “My coaches stay on me about that, about how much an offensive lineman can make. They tell me that I can really do this.”