The UCLA football team got their second running back as former Arizona commit, 3-star Martell Irby, is heading to Westwood instead.
It seems as though the Chip Kelly UCLA football team is going to hit the ground running next season and will do so with a lot of youth, giving depth to the spotlight positions as the Bruins have loaded up on offense. Today they landed their second running back (to go along with their five receivers) as Martell Irby (Morse/San Diego, CA) commits.
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It is known that Kelly is going to run a run-based spread offense and with this being his first recruiting class, needed the players that fit his scheme and he needed a lot of them. The Bruins already had speedster 3-star Kazmeir Allen, but add more talent with Irby.
At 5’8″, 204 lbs., Irby has the size, frame and talent to be a successful player in Kelly’s offense. In high school he played many different positions, so he is quite versatile. On defense he was good in coverage and was known for pulling in interceptions.
Those hands have helped him on the other side of scrimmage as a receiver, in addition to being a running back. This will be beneficial in Kelly’s offense which relies on the speed of all their key offensive figures.
As a ball carrier, Irby has good vision and decision-making skills and has the ability to find the best option behind the line. He also has fantastic speed which will be trouble for defenses if they give him enough room to operate. He also has a good center of gravity and is able to balance and change directions quickly in traffic.
With his letter into the UCLA Athletic department, the Bruins now have 23 NLIs accounted for. The Bruins are currently awaiting letters from Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Chris Murray, Tyler Manoa and CJ Parks.
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Welcome to Westwood, Martell!