BYU running back LJ Martin bypassed the NFL Draft to return to the Cougars for the 2026 season. He was a top running back in college football last season, and his return bolsters the team’s offense.
Martin detailed on Monday why he decided to return for another year at BYU.
LJ Martin Discusses Return to BYU
“Just the people I’m gonna be around and yeah, I mean, it’s just like people like Coach Kalani (Sitake), Coach Harvey (Unga), and just my teammates,” Martin said. “They’re the best people in the world. They just make you feel fun, and yeah, they’re just people I enjoy being around. I feel like I’m a better person when I’m around them. That’s just one of the many reasons I came back.
“I mean, I could go on and on, but yeah, between that and just having another opportunity to go out there and have a great season and go out there and prove a couple things and go even higher possibly in the draft. So yeah, just for the opportunity. I don’t see why I wouldn’t come back.”
Martin has recorded 2,541 rushing yards over his three seasons with BYU and is on track to potentially lead the team in rushing for a fourth straight year. He is closing in on the school’s all-time rushing record held by Jamaal Williams, needing 1,361 more yards to surpass the mark.
Martin carried the ball 236 times for 1,305 rushing yards in 2025 and earned an A grade in the PFSN College Football RB Impact Metric, ranking as the No. 2 running back in the country. His performance last season earned him Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year honors.
Martin missed BYU’s 25-21 Pop-Tarts Bowl win over Georgia Tech after undergoing late-season shoulder surgery following the Big 12 Championship game. As he works his way back to health, he has embraced a leadership role in the locker room, helping lead and develop younger teammates.
Martin’s connection to BYU extends beyond his playing career; he stated he hopes to return to the program as a coach in the future.
“Hopefully, one day when my playing career is over, I could be up here as a coach,” Martin said. “Yeah, not calling plays, just that’s too much pressure. I would be sick calling plays that I would start throwing up. Like fourth and two big games, I’ll just call it like a play, I just start throwing up… But a position coach, maybe, yeah, that would be a little bit easier, just to be like let the OC take most of the blame and stuff.
“I think a position coach would be a lot more doable. I’m looking more like an analyst-type role. So that I don’t take no blame at all. So yeah, I’d be more happy with that.”
BYU opens its 2026 season against Utah Tech on Sept. 5.
