Martin Kicks Off the NEC Commitment Class in 2026 for the Dukes
Will Martin didn’t wait.
The first NEC commit in the 2026 class was a big win for Duquesne. Martin, a 6’2.5”, 220-pound athlete out of Seton LaSalle High School in Pittsburgh, committed to the Dukes with an official announcement on June 9. If you’re going to open up the lid on NEC commits (and Martin eventually set off a flurry of them), you might as well open with a blast. As an opening statement, Martin’s just about as explosive as the 4th of July.
His offer list speaks for itself. He drew FBS attention from Toledo, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, and Akron. His first offer came from Toledo—the same Rockets team that just took down Pitt in a bowl game. He also held offers from FCS Albany and Duquesne’s in-city rival RMU. But when it came time to decide, Martin didn’t hesitate.
“Duquesne was the right place for me as soon as I stepped on campus,” he said. “It immediately felt right. The coaches, the location, and the culture made it home for me.”
Martin received his offer right after a camp, and the moment stuck with him. “The conversation was pretty cool when I got my offer. The defensive coordinator Coach Jacobs and the offensive coordinator Coach Doria were there on the field when they called me and were fighting about which side of the ball they want me to play on. When they offered me, I committed on spot, and they definitely did not expect that.”
He might’ve had options on both sides of the ball, but Martin made it clear where he sees himself at the next level. “They are in between me playing tight end and linebacker right now, but I believe I will end up playing linebacker there because I feel like I’m a defensive player at heart.”
When we asked Martin about what coaches made a difference for him, he had an answer we’ve heard a few times now. “Coach Jacobs definitely stood out to me as the DC,” he said. “Right away I had a connection with him. I clicked with him well and I look forward to playing under him.”
Martin becomes the first commit in Duquesne’s 2026 class—and the first NEC pledge overall. You know that we’re always excited by WPIAL players, and Martin became the first such commit in the class as well. His signing was viewed by local experts like Karlo Zovko of WPIAL Insider as “a shocker.” The NEC does it with some regularity, to be sure, but opening the recruiting season by upsetting a slate of G5 offers is always a good way to begin the recruiting cycle for any team in the league. And if his commitment is any indication, the Dukes are setting the tone early.
