BYU’s run of bad injury luck just got a whole lot uglier.
Star running back LJ Martin is expected to miss four to six weeks with a lower body injury, according to a Wednesday report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel. The setback came on Martin’s second carry against TCU last weekend, and it will keep him out of BYU’s Oct. 17 prime-time matchup with Notre Dame in Provo.
BYU had already listed Martin as out for Friday’s game against Iowa State in its Big 12 availability report released Tuesday night.
“Sources: No. 8 BYU’s star tailback, LJ Martin, will be out for at least a month with a lower body injury he suffered against TCU.
He was the Big 12 offensive player of the year in 2025. He’ll miss four to six weeks, including the home against No.
3 Notre Dame on Oct. 17. pic.twitter.com/hsDEEUz9Ri
- Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) October 7, 2026”
Martin, the reigning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, has been BYU’s most productive back this season. He has rushed for 344 yards and three touchdowns in 2026, averaging 7.8 yards per carry.
The absence also marks what is likely to be the longest injury-related stretch of his college career. Martin has missed six games over the past three seasons because of various injuries, but this latest issue figures to keep him sidelined longer than any of those previous setbacks.
Since arriving at BYU in 2023, Martin has piled up 2,885 rushing yards, which puts him No. 6 on the program’s all-time list.
With Martin unavailable for the foreseeable future, BYU will lean on reserve backs Journee Tonga, Preston Rex and others. Quarterback Bear Bachmeier is also expected to take on a heavier rushing load.
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Iowa State has its own holes to manage, with defenders Drew Surges, Caden Crawford and Ka'Mori Moore all sidelined. That leaves both staffs adjusting on the fly, and for BYU the question is how well the next men up can absorb the loss of proven production in a game where every small edge could matter. [Read more 🡒]