PROVO, Utah (ABC4 Sports) – Since Tyler Allgeier set a school record with 1,601 yards rushing in 2021, the last two leading rushers for the Cougars couldn’t top that total combined.
LJ Martin is hoping to become the next 1,000 yard rusher for the Cougars.
There were reports that Martin injured his shoulder significantly in spring ball and wouldn’t be ready for the start of the season, but he says he’s good to go.
“Yeah, I’m participating and everything,” Martin said after practice. “Being out here with the guys, just out here competing, it’s been real fun. Just being out here for the first couple of days of camp, I’ll be good.”
Martin came out of nowhere last season as a true freshman to lead BYU in rushing with 518 yards and four touchdowns, and that experience is paying huge dividends already.
“LJ looks like he’s way more comfortable,” said head coach Kalani Sitake. “When he was a true freshman, he was getting used to everything the locker room, college life, all of that. Now it’s like it’s night and day difference. He’s a leader now.”
“I feel a lot more comfortable,” Martin said. “I know a lot more about concepts and stuff. So, I understand where everyone’s going, the spacing and stuff. Even what the o-line is doing, I’m able to get that down now. So, it’s been a lot easier just trying to get everything and understand where people are going to be.”
Martin is in line to be the lead back. But Hinckley Ropati is back after missing all of last season, while speedy Miles Davis is back to 100 percent after playing in just four games last year. Martin said he isn’t concerned with who gets the most carries this season.
“We’re just out here competing,” Martin said. “We don’t really care. I mean, we feel all seven of us in the room right now, we feel like whoever’s back there is going to get the job done. So we we honestly don’t care who gets the job. Whoever gets it, they got the ability to make plays, so we’re happy with whoever.”
Ropati has become a role model for Martin, showing how resilient he is coming back from a major knee injury.
“Seeing him put in the work every day, I’m just happy to see him out there,” Martin said. “This is like his fourth year here, so it helps a lot having his veteran presence. He knows how things go, how the offense is, so it’s really a help to all of us.”
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