Two BYU Players Named Top 100 Players in College Football For 2026 Season

On3Sports named the top 100 players in college football for the 2026 season and two BYU players made the cut

BYU RB LJ Martin against East Carolina | BYU Photo

It's never too early to start looking ahead to the next college football season. On3Sports named the top 100 players in college football for the 2026 season and two BYU players made the cut. BYU star running back LJ Martin was ranked no. 29 and BYU cornerback Evan Johnson was ranked no. 73.

Martin is ranked as the best player in the Big 12 and fifth among running backs behind only Kewan Lacy (Ole Miss), Ahmad Hardy (MissourI), Jadan Baugh (Florida), and Isaac Brown (Louisville).

Martin and Johnson were two of the 10 Big 12 players that made the cut. Only four Big 12 schools had players inside the top 100: BYU, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, and Houston. Below is the list of all the Big 12 players in the top 100.

1. RB LJ Martin (BYU) - no. 29 nationally
2. CB Brice Polluck (Texas Tech) - 34
3. OL Sheridan Wilson (Texas Tech) - 39
4. OL Howard Sampson (Texas Tech) - 45
5. TE Terrance Carter (Texas Tech) - 58
6. RB Caleb Hawkins (Oklahoma State) - 65
7. CB Evan Johnson (BYU) - 73
8. QB Drew Mestemaker (Oklahoma State) - 81
9. LB Austin Romaine (Texas Tech) - 84
10. WR Amare Thomas (Houston) - 93

BYU is not scheduled to face Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, or Houston in 2026. In other words, BYU will not face any of the other Big 12 players in the top 100. However, the Cougars will face various Notre Dame players in the top 100. The Fighting Irish are well represented with five players in the top 100.

LJ Martin Could Chase BYU History in 2026

LJ Martin has led BYU in rushing in all three of his years at BYU. He has a chance to become the first running back in BYU history to lead BYU in rushing in four consecutive seasons. That's not the only record that Martin could set at BYU in 2026.

In three years at BYU, Martin has 2,541 career rushing yards. That ranks ninth in BYU history and just ahead of Doak Walker Award winner Luke Staley.

Heading into the 2026 season, Martin is 1,360 rushing yards behind BYU all-time leading rusher Jamaal Williams. Martin had a career high 1,305 rushing yards in 2025. If Martin is able to narrowly exceed his 2025 production, he would become BYU's all-time leading rusher.

If he runs for 915 yards or more, he would surpass now BYU running backs coach Harvey Unga who ranks second in BYU history. As long as Martin stays healthy, he will rank no lower than third all time.

BYU All-Time Leading Rushers

1. Jamaal Williams - 3,901
2. Harvey Unga - 3,455
3. Curis Brown - 3,221
4. Jamal Willis - 2,970
5. Tyler Allgeier - 2,904
6. Taysom Hill - 2,815
7. Lakei Heimuli - 2,710
8. Jeff Blanc - 2,663
9. LJ Martin - 2,541
10. Luke Staley - 2,493