BYU Star RB LJ Martin Will 'Try to Play' Against Rival Utah

It's been over a month since star running back LJ Martin suited up for the BYU football program. That will change on Saturday when no. 9 BYU takes on archrival and no. 3 Utah. According to multiple reports, Martin will dress and will attempt to play, even though he's not expected to be 100% against Utah. Pregame warmups will ultimately decide whether Martin plays, and the extent of his role.

Pete Nakos of On3Sports reported that ,"While he might not be 100% yet, he's close enough to try to play against no. 3 Utah. The plan entering Saturday is for Martin to be available and play. How he does in warmups will be the ultimate deciding factor."

No. 9 BYU running back LJ Martin has targeted Nov. 7 as his return date for the past month. Sources have told @On3 that while he might not be 100% yet, he’s close enough to try to play against No. 3 Utah.

The plan entering Saturday is for Martin to be available and play. How he… https://t.co/NCdxjXNKf2 pic.twitter.com/5CrGKKWjbA
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos) November 6, 2026

The report from Nakos aligns with an earlier report from ESPN's Pete Thamel that said Martin is "on track to dress and attempt to play on Saturday. He'll likely be limited, but he's determined to impact the game. How he feels pre-game will determine [the] extent of his role."

Star tailback LJ Martin practiced the last three days for BYU. He’s on track to dress and attempt to play on Saturday. He’ll likely be limited, but he’s determined to impact the game. How he feels pre-game will determine extent of his role. https://t.co/Jaw1OsFKM3
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) November 6, 2026

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On Tuesday, BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick confirmed that Martin had practiced, although Roderick said Wednesday and Thursday would determine whether he could play or not. Given the reports from Nakos and Thamel, it appears Martin is on track to give it a go for the BYU offense.

What remains to be seen is how effective Martin will be against a stout Utah defense. When Martin played at Texas Tech last year just two weeks removed from a shoulder separation, he clearly wasn't himself. It wasn't until the following week against TCU that he looked like he was back to normal.

Even if Martin isn't 100%, he is positioned to boost the BYU offense. BYU's rushing attack, especially the last two weeks, has been poor. BYU backup running back Preston Rex got hurt against UCF and missed the following week against Arizona State.

While Rex was out of the lineup, Sione Moa moved into a prominent role just one month after a fairly severe knee injury. Moa clearly wasn't himself, he averaged just 2.7 yards per carry.

Before injury, Martin was averaging 7.8 yards per carry and 5.8 yards per carry after contact. If he is able to take 8-12 carries, we would expect Preston Rex to take the other 8-10 carries for the BYU offense. If Martin is unable to go, Preston Rex would likely be the primary running back, Sione Moa would be the backup, and Bear Bachmeier would take on more of the workload as a runner.

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