BYU’s LJ Martin is expected to play when the No. 8 Cougars face No. 9 Texas Tech on Saturday morning, per ESPN college football insider Pete Thamel.
Sources: BYU tailback LJ Martin is expected to play this week at No. 9 Texas Tech. He practiced well on Monday and is in line to play Saturday. Martin is BYU’s leading rusher with 789 yards. pic.twitter.com/SaycWiBPpC
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) November 4, 2025
The junior running back, who left BYU’s Oct. 25 game against Iowa State in the first quarter with an upper-body injury, has not played since.
Head coach Kalani Sitake told the media at his weekly press briefing that Martin had been practicing, as the Deseret News previously reported, and that he had not been ruled out for Saturday’s game, which he called “a good sign.”
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Martin, who stands at 6-foot-2 and weighs 220 pounds, leads the Big 12 in rushing yards this season and is 16th in the country. In addition to his 789 rushing yards and five touchdowns, Martin has 11 receptions for 82 yards.
BYU is a perfect 8-0 to start the season and looks to keep its unblemished record intact when it visits Lubbock for a nationally televised game Saturday against the Red Raiders.