LJ Martin Reaches 1,000 Rushing Yards For First Time In BYU Career

CINCINNATI – BYU running back LJ Martin hit a milestone during a career night performance against the Cincinnati Bearcats.

Martin eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark in a season for the first time in his BYU career.

Have a night, LJ Martin pic.twitter.com/gdZxVl4Pox

— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) November 23, 2025

LJ Martin reaches 1,000 rushing yards during the 2025 season

It’s the first time since Tyler Allgeier in 2021, a current running back for the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, that a BYU running back reached 1,000 yards on the ground in one year.

Martin, a native of El Paso, Texas, has been BYU’s leading rusher since arriving on campus in 2023.

He was BYU’s leading rusher in 2023 (518 yards) and 2024 (718). But this year, he’s taken his game to another level.

That increased level of play was on display on Saturday against Cincinnati, where Martin rushed for a career-high 222 yards on a career-high 32 carries.

Martin carried BYU to a 26-14 victory over the Bearcats.

Martin makes a case for Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year

Entering the final week of the regular season, Martin has rushed for 1,134 yards and eight touchdowns on 195 carries. He’s averaging 5.8 yards per carry this season.

Martin is the leading rusher in the Big 12 Conference entering the regular season’s final week. He’s one of two running backs to reach the 1,000-yard mark this season. The other is Raleek Brown at Arizona State.

Martin has played in all 11 of BYU’s games this season, but when you dig into the appearances, he played only one quarter in BYU’s win at Iowa State on October 25. In that game, he suffered a shoulder injury. That injury was nagging him on November 8 in the loss at Texas Tech.

Martin has made a strong case for Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year with how he’s playing. When he’s healthy and available, BYU is a tough team to take out.

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.

Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.

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