BYU RB LJ Martin injury: Reigning Big 12 Player of the Year to miss a month, including showdown vs. Notre Dame

The Cougars will be without their star running back in an Oct. 17 top-10 showdown against Notre Dame

Oct 7, 2026 at 8:49 pm ET • 2 min read

The BYU offense just absorbed a big blow weeks before its highly anticipated showdown with Notre Dame. Star running back and 2025 Big 12 Player of the Year LJ Martin will be out for at least one month due to a lower-body injury, ESPN reports.

Martin carried the ball just twice for 16 yards in last week's win over TCU before exiting the game. With 4:40 remaining in the first quarter, Martin was pulled down awkwardly, jogged off the field with a slight limp and did not return.

With Martin out of the game, the Cougars were without their top two running backs since Sione Moa has been sidelined with an injury he suffered in Week 1. As a result, the BYU rushing attack wasn't nearly as effective as it usually is. The Cougars rushed for just 154 yards and 4.1 yards per carry in wet conditions.

Prior to the injury, Martin was a key cog in the BYU offense, as usual. Through the first three games, Martin rushed the ball 42 times for 328 yards and three touchdowns. He was also involved in the passing game with five receptions for 41 yards.

In his career, Martin has piled up 2,885 rushing yards, 439 receiving yards and 29 total touchdowns. He'll be a hard weapon to replace.

The timeline for Martin's return means he'll miss the Oct. 17 showdown against Notre Dame, which will be critical for the College Football Playoff hopes of both teams. With Martin on the shelf for that one, BYU either needs someone else to step up on the ground, or it needs to find more production from its passing game.

BYU's air attack has been grounded

A lack of depth at running back isn't ideal for BYU, a team that thrives when it runs the ball effectively. The Cougars rank 16th nationally and fourth in the Big 12 with 235.5 rushing yards per game.

Martin has been a big part of that -- his 344 rushing yards lead the team -- but so has quarterback Bear Bachmeier. The sophomore signal caller has rushed for 130 yards, and he's been particularly effective down near the goal line. Bachmeier was first on the team with four rushing scores.

The issue for Bachmeier and the Cougars is that the passing game hasn't quite clicked. Bachmeier has completed 64.9 percent of his passes for just 704 yards, seven touchdowns and one interception. BYU's 179.8 passing yards per game rank 114th nationally.

The lack of a cohesive passing game isn't exactly a shock. The Cougars' top three receivers from last season are no longer on the team, and although freshman Legend Glasker has been great, that production hasn't been fully replaced.

If BYU is going to navigate the next month without Martin, it will have to figure some things out in the passing game, especially against the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame's defense will have a field day if the Cougars are one-dimensional.