By ANDRE CHAMPAGNE, Tiger Rag Staff Reporter
GONZALES – It wasn’t an easy decision for East Ascension High offensive tackle Brysten Martinez as he watched Texas and LSU fight over him, but in the end he will stay close to home at LSU.
Brysten Martinez is a Tiger.
— Andre Champagne (@andrechampagnee) December 4, 2025
The 6’7 300 pound versatile offensive tackle is ready to get to work. #LSU pic.twitter.com/9E7PVbdRfE
Martinez (6-foot-6, 308 pounds), a four-star prospect and the nation’s No. 9 offensive tackle by 247sports.com, signed with the Tigers at 7:18 a.m. Wednesday – the first day of the early signing period that goes through Friday.
Get your ticket in your hand for the Kiffin Express … continuous National Signing Day updates here:https://t.co/ZkXaH9zMmI
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) December 3, 2025
He is LSU’s top offensive line prospect so far for the 2026 class signing class. Martinez, the No. 82 overall player in the nation and No. 3 in Louisiana, said LSU’s controversial hiring of Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin last Saturday after LSU fired Brian Kelly on Oct. 26 made his decision difficult. He just visited Texas over the weekend of Nov. 21-23 for the Arkansas game and during the Longhorns’ open weekend of Nov. 7-9.
“They’ve been very chippy, you know,” he said. “The coaching situation at LSU and Texas making a great pursuit, it was a very chippy situation. But I got it done.”
Lane Kiffin’s best signee of the day may be the 54-year-old. And LSU doesn’t appear to be retaining the man behind that ?able roster – Austin Thomas.https://t.co/Pd9wBxZher
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) December 4, 2025
Kiffin convinced Martinez to keep his commitment to LSU that he made on Feb. 13.
“Really, the fact that Lane Kiffin is a great coach,” Martinez said. “I don’t think there’s anybody better to play under, and I just didn’t have enough time to have the connections with Texas that I had with LSU.”
Once Kiffin flew to Baton Rouge on Sunday and got to the LSU football office, Martinez spent time with him.
“You know, they were just trying to keep me here,” he said. “Just like a normal conversation, just telling me how good of an athlete I am, stuff like that. And it was the relaxation with how he was talking to me. It wasn’t rushing nothing. It was cool when it went down.”
And on Night 3 as LSU’s coach on Signing Day Eve, Lane Kiffin went into Damage Control.https://t.co/QY3P4d4NEp
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) December 3, 2025
Kiffin wasn’t the only reason Martinez chose LSU. East Ascension High is just a 30-minute drive to LSU.
“Family can come to every single game, if they want to. It’s amazing,” he said.
The Longhorns did everything they could to get Martinez to flip, but it wasn’t enough. Texas’ Memorial Stadium didn’t measure up to Death Valley in his mind.
“I mean, the atmosphere, there’s just nothing like it at LSU,” he said. “I mean you go to Texas and it’s there, but it’s not like LSU.”
Brysten Martinez has to be the most athletic offensive line recruit in the 2026 class.
— John Eads WAFB-TV (@JohnEadsWAFB) October 21, 2025
Check out what the 4🌟#LSU commit was up to against St. Amant on Friday.@BrystenMartine4 taking direct snaps, catching several passes at tight end, and even throwing a long touchdown pass. pic.twitter.com/rnE0zUEwWW
East Ascension head coach Brock Matherne used Martinez as a jumbo quarterback, tight end and wide receiver in addition to offensive line. Martinez can’t wait to see what secret plays Kiffin may have for him.
“It makes me more excited to go play college football, being able to play under Lane Kiffin,” he said.
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