LJ Martin Injury Update: BYU star RB Projected to Return Against Utah

BYU Cougars running back LJ Martin will be out this week against Arizona State. However, the return date for the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year is coming soon. There is growing optimism he can return for the Nov. 7 Holy War showdown with Utah, according to On3.

Martin has been sidelined since exiting the TCU game on Oct. 3 with a lower-body injury. BYU beat then-No. 2 Notre Dame without Martin available, but his extra punch in the running game could've been a game-changer in the loss to UCF. If the Cougars do have Martin available for the rivalry game in Salt Lake City, it could be what the team needs to take pressure off of quarterback Bear Bachmeier.

Martin has made great progress in the last two weeks and sources say he's nearly ready to go. If everything can come together with BYU being nearly healthy towards the end of the season, the Cougars will be in great shape going into the final month of the regular season.

The 6-foot-2, 225-pound running back rushed for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2025 while helping BYU reach the Big 12 championship game. It was the first 1,000 yard season of his career. Martin rushed for 344 yards and three scores before he was injured. The majority of his production came against Colorado State with 15 carries for 176 yards.

Martin adds another dimension to BYU's offense. He's able to hit the next level often and rack up yards after contact.

“LJ’s getting really close,” BYU head coach Kalani Sitake said earlier this week. “He’s looking better, and we’re we’re seeing him in lots of training. So, he’s getting close, but we want to make sure that it’s the right timing for him.”

With Martin sidelined, BYU has done an outstanding job getting more players incorporated into the rotation. But the Cougars lost in double overtime at UCF last week, dropping them to 6-1 on the season.

Sitake's team understands the task at hand. After being a two-loss team each of the past two seasons, the Cougars remain on the cusp of making the College Football Playoff. There is a chance they don't need to win the Big 12 Conference to get there. But the safest route is receiving an auto-bid.

No. 8 BYU hosts Arizona State before traveling to Utah on Nov. 7 for the Holy War. The Cougars and Sun Devils kick off on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX.