Young Ducks compete to become Oregon's new King of Pop

Ugh. Ah.

That could be the sound of the men working on the chain gang, but in performance labs across Eugene, Arizona and Texas, it's more likely to be the sound of Cole Martin, Aaron Flowers and their future teammates. They are Sisyphus with a medicine ball, zigzagging across the 10,000-hour distance between them and a possible starting job in the Oregon secondary.

It's got them working, working day and night.

Oregon Ducks DB Cole Martin, training at 1am!! @colemartin21

This the only kid I know that will train at 12am-1am after getting off a flight from Oregon celebrate Mother’s Day and attend his sister track meet. No excuses just work, you want success follow his blueprint. pic.twitter.com/TQl1YzWYqE

— Ryan Peete (@sweetfeettrain1) June 3, 2023

Meanwhile Aaron Flowers, a 2024 safety prospect who committed in May, labors in the Texas heat.

Texas Heat 🥵 if you don't work you don't eat! pic.twitter.com/vPdXERtrq6

— Aaron Flowers (@aaronflowers06) June 5, 2023

All the frenzied jump/juke/jive has a purpose: the footwork and agility drills improve the neural connections in their already quick-twitch bodies, giving the young athletes something football scouts call "quick hips," the ability to run fluidly and change direction with a jack-rabbitty slot receiver on third and six.

A cornerback or safety has a tough job in football, maybe the toughest. They have to run with the tallest, fastest players in the game, and they start the first 10 yards backwards. Martin makes this marvelous night for a moonwalk look easy: 

2023 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ OREGON COMMIT Cole Martin showing off his quick hips before his game against Chandler!@adamgorney | @colemartin21 | @RyanYoungRivals | @DSArivals | 🎥 @Rivals_Jeff pic.twitter.com/Jk9kqVyzfd

— Rivals (@Rivals) October 29, 2022

 Martin arrived early at Oregon in time for spring practice, and he's already playing all the hits. At the Spring Game on April 29th he flashed often, a breakout star with three tackles, a pass breakup and a 29-yard punt return in the fourth quarter.

Max Torres of Duck Digest wrote, "He plays like he's shot out of a cannon." An Adidas All-American in 2022, Martin is listed at 5-10, 180 but is likely a touch smaller than that, compact, thick through the quadriceps, cut in the upper body.

He'll have to be tenacious to see the field early this fall, keep competing at that Energizer Bunny level. Small DBs can make it, though the grind never ends. Duck great Rashad Bauman (5-8, 184) made it all the way to the NFL, 5 years with Washington and the Bengals.

Asked about Martin after the Green versus Yellow Tribute to the Troops, Dan Lanning said, "Yeah, Cole’s a good player, you know. I think he’s exactly what we thought he was going to be. He had great spring practice, he’s super competitive. You know, I think what makes Cole special, he’s the guy who’s going to be up here at 6 a.m., you know, get an ice bath, doing the extra. He knows what’s required. Obviously, he’s a coach’s kid, so he does a little bit extra from that standpoint, too. But I think he had some highlights today. I’m sure he’ll say he had some stuff he wants to improve too.”

On the improvement: the freshman took a terrific angle to close on Tez Johnson on a 69-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown, but he missed the tackle at the five.

Martin has an interesting family story. His father Demetrice is Oregon defensive backfield coach, an All-Conference player at Michigan State in the '90s. His sister Kori is the 6A Arizona Division 1 state champion in the 100 and 300 meter hurdles.

To play in 2023, Martin will probably start with spot duty in specific situations like third and long, covering quick guys in traffic. The Ducks need improvement on special teams, so his hard-wired, hard-nosed intensity might be just the thing.