FT. MYERS, Fla. -- Brannon Martinsen oozes potential, even if the class-of-2026 prospect remains a bit raw. That’s obviously to be expected of a sophomore in high school, but there’s a reason why the high-upside forward already holds a number of high-major offers. Rivals recently spoke to the Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei standout about where things stand in the early stages of his recruitment.
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2024 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2025 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team
2026 Rankings: Top 65
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IN HIS OWN WORDS
ON HIS CURRENT OFFERS
“I have Illinois, Iowa, USC, (Cal) Berkeley, Creighton and a few others.”
ON VISITS HE’S ALREADY TAKEN
“I’ve been to [Loyola Marymount ] for an unofficial, but that was it.”
ON HIS LMU VISIT
“It was pretty cool. It was a great first visit experience. I did it on my birthday, too, so that was pretty cool.”
ON IF HE GREW UP A FAN OF ANY PROGRAM
“UCLA a little bit and Kentucky, but not really a huge fan.”
ON IF UCLA OR KENTUCKY HAS MADE CONTACT
“UCLA came to a few games at EYBL but that was about it.”
ON HOW HE DESCRIBES HIS GAME
“I would say I am kind of versatile. I can do anything a coach needs me to do., You need me in the corner shooting? I can do that. You need me to bring the ball up the court? I can do that. If you need me to guard any position, I can do that as well. I can do whatever you need me to.”
ON IF STAYING CLOSE TO HOME IS IMPORTANT TO HIM
“I grew up in California, but I’ll go whenever they need me most – wherever I can play.”
ON WHAT HE’S LOOKING FOR IN A COLLEGE
“I want a winning culture and a place where the fans care. That’s why I value winning Southern basketball a lot. My mom is from Kentucky, and she says the fans are crazy in the South. She went to Kentucky. I want to get down to the South and experience the energy down there at least once.”
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RIVALS REACTION
It’s much too early in the process to make any real guesses on where Martinsen may land. College coaches are not permitted to initiate contact with 2026 prospects yet, but the 6-foot-6 wing’s offer list suggests that he’ll have plenty of options down the road. Martinsen is still pretty raw but he clearly has the tools to be a versatile prospect that will make an impact at the high-major level down the road. Martinsen is likely to see his name in the rankings when the list expands to include 150 prospects later this year.
