LJ Martin: BYU running back out 4 to 6 weeks with lower body injury
Sources told ESPN that BYU's LJ Martin will miss a month or more after getting hurt in the Cougars' win at TCU, meaning he sits out the Notre Dame game.
Why LJ Martin is trending
People are searching LJ Martin because BYU's starting running back is about to disappear from the lineup for over a month. Sources told ESPN's Pete Thamel on Wednesday that Martin will be out four to six weeks with a lower body injury. That window covers BYU's home game against No. 3 Notre Dame on Oct. 17, a game the Cougars will have to play without their lead back.
The injury itself happened in the first quarter of BYU's 17-10 win at TCU, and Martin did not return to that game. BYU has not put out a more specific diagnosis beyond the lower body description and the four to six week range.
What we know about the injury
Martin is a 6-foot-2, 225-pound senior who was the Big 12's Offensive Player of the Year in 2025. He rushed for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns last season while BYU won 12 games and made the Big 12 championship game.
This year he had been even more efficient before getting hurt, picking up 344 yards and three touchdowns on 7.8 yards per carry, including a 176-yard game against Colorado State. He also carries some outside weight as a prospect, ranked the No. 5 running back for the 2027 draft by ESPN's Jordan Reid.
What happens next for BYU
With Martin out, freshman Journee Tonga is set for more carries. Tonga has already rushed for 157 yards and a touchdown on 8.3 yards per carry in his first season, so BYU has a known option to lean on rather than scrambling for answers.
Martin's injury is not the only one on BYU's injury report. Linebacker Isaiah Glasker and running back Sione Moa have both been ruled out for Friday's home game against Iowa State, which kicks off at 10:15 p.m. ET on ESPN. Safety Raider Damuni was listed as doubtful in the team's initial availability report released Tuesday.
BYU sits at 4-0 overall and 2-0 in Big 12 play. The Cougars still have to get through Iowa State this week before the Notre Dame matchup on Oct. 17, and they will do both without their top running back on the field.
Where things stand
There is no return date beyond the four to six week estimate ESPN's sources gave, and BYU has not confirmed anything more precise publicly as of this report. For now the Cougars are treating it as a multi-game absence that runs through at least the Notre Dame game, with Tonga stepping into a bigger role in the backfield.
Facts per ESPN. Opinion is the taproom's.