Pflugerville High School standout praises the culture and family atmosphere built by the Hogs’ staff
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Over the past six years, nearly every recruit who visits Arkansas leaves with the same impression: Fayetteville is an underrated gem of a college town, and head coach Sam Pittman has built a culture centered on family.
For new tight end commit Jaivion Martin, that culture was a deciding factor.
“There are a lot of reasons I chose Arkansas, but the most important is the coaching staff,” Martin said. “I’ve built strong relationships with all of them, especially Coach Sam Pittman. They also made a great connection with my family.”
Martin also expressed strong confidence in tight ends coach Morgan Turner, who brings a proven track record of NFL development from his 13 seasons at Stanford. During his decade as the Cardinal’s tight ends coach, Turner helped produce a string of NFL standouts, including Dalton Schultz, Austin Hooper, Coby Fleener, Levine Toilolo, Zach Ertz, Kaden Smith, and Colby Parkinson.
Ertz and Fleener were second-round NFL Draft picks in consecutive years after catching passes from Stanford legend Andrew Luck. Now entering his 14th NFL season, Ertz experienced a resurgence last year in Washington, hauling in 66 receptions for 654 yards and seven touchdowns.
“Another reason is Coach Turner—he’s a very good coach who’s done a lot of good things,” Martin said. “I believe he can develop me into a top-tier tight end prospect.”
Standing at 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds, Martin is rated as the No. 438 overall prospect in the 2026 recruiting class, the No. 20 tight end, and the No. 60 athlete nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. He chose Arkansas over a strong list of offers that included Houston, Arizona State, Texas Tech, Cal, Duke, Oregon State, Maryland, UNLV, and several others.
His high school tape clearly reflects a solid foundation in technique and physicality, developed at Pflugerville High School in Texas—a program known for producing collegiate talent, including former first-team All-American and Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Alex Okafor.
Arkansas boasts a remarkable streak of having at least one player selected in each of the last 31 NFL Drafts, dating back to 1996—the longest such run in program history. Since joining the SEC in 1992, head coach Sam Pittman ranks third among Razorback coaches in producing NFL talent, with only Houston Nutt (32) and Bret Bielema (19) having more draft picks during their tenures.
“Lastly, it’s the SEC,” Martin said. “Coach Turner is giving me a chance to play at the highest level. He believes in me like I believe in myself.”
Turner continues to reshape the tight end room, adding a diverse group of transfers during the winter portal window. That group includes Rohan Jones (Montana State), Jeremiah Beck (JUCO), and Jaden Platt (Texas A&M), each bringing a unique skillset to Fayetteville.
Offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino runs a tight end-friendly system—Arkansas tight ends accounted for seven of the team’s 16 passing touchdowns in 2024.
The Razorbacks already have a commitment from 3-star tight end Kade Bush out of Chanhassen, Minnesota, for the 2026 class, and they’re set to host another 3-star prospect, Kai Wesley from Otem, Utah, for an official visit on May 30. With 14 commitments, Arkansas’ 2026 recruiting class currently ranks No. 3 in the SEC and No. 15 nationally, according to 247Sports.
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