LJ Martin's Injury Could Spell Disaster for BYU When Baylor Heads to Provo in 5 Weeks
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Baylor's game against BYU could have just changed drastically as LJ Martin (the Cougars RB) is expected to miss the next 4-6 weeks with a lower body injury, Pete Thamel reports. Suffering the injury in BYU's recent victory over TCU, the Cougars are going to have to reconfigure their offensive game plan as Martin was indeed a large factor in BYU's recent successes.
Will LJ Martin Be Back In Time When Baylor Comes to Provo?
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
It's unclear what exactly the lower body injury to LJ Martin is as of the time of this article's publication, but he's expected to miss the next month or so. What shape Martin will be in on November 14th, or if he's yet to fully recover will have to wait to be seen. As with any player, their health and longevity will always take precedence over their playtime, or at least it should.
It's entirely possible that Martin is the type to rehab and recover quickly, but it's also equally possible that the injury could see him miss action even beyond the Baylor game. As one of the Cougars' team captains, Martin's absence will assuredly be felt on the field.
While LJ Martin isn't the only weapon that BYU has on offense, one less known danger on the field can only be a positive for Baylor.
BYU was Originally the Beginning of the Bears Three Difficult Late Season Games
Heading to Provo to take on BYU, coming back home to Waco only to be challenged by Texas Tech, and finishing the regular season in Houston against Houston. Baylor's last three games of the regular season run the gauntlet of the Big 12's top teams, and even for the most optimistic among us that's a difficult stretch of games.
Does it Matter Who's Running the Ball Against Baylor's Defense?
Let's not get ahead of ourselves here, but if Baylor's defense continues playing at the pace they currently have been I have full confidence that there isn't a team in the Big 12 that can overcome DC Joe Klanderman and his schemes. The Bears defense hasn't given up 20 points in a game yet this season, and over the course of the next month, I expect that trend to continue.
Whether it's Hosea Wheeler, Traevon "Slug" Mitchell and company on the defensive line, Travion Barnes, Kyland Reed and the linebacking corps, or Reggie Bush II, Micah Gifford, and the impressive Baylor secondary, this Bears defense are clearly afraid of no team this season and are all men on a mission.
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Brad is a writer and contributes to the Baylor Bears on SI, with aspirations to share his own unique thoughts and perspectives with fans. Whether through the facts and figures of the past or the untold potential and triumphs of the future, sports have always been a large influence on Brad's storytelling and life overall. His inspiration to write began while watching sports when he first noticed the highs and lows of each game, each quarter, each play; there's a story in each of them worth telling, and he wanted to tell them.
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