LJ Martin didn’t return to BYU just to break rushing records, but he’s on track to do just that

BYU running back LJ Martin (4) celebrates his touchdown during the Big 12 championship game against Texas Tech at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News A few years ago, BYU running back LJ Martin’s entire family traveled from their home in El Paso, Texas, for a vacation in San Diego, the land of beautiful beaches, near-perfect weather, amusement parks and enticing golf courses.

Martin packed his PlayStation game console, and spent a lot of the week indoors. “I was playing video games all the time,” the rising senior told the Deseret News on April 3. “My mom (Genevieve) got mad at me.

… I’ve never been interested in doing whatever, what other people think I should be doing. ” That’s one of the reasons why he didn’t enter the transfer portal after his sensational junior season, and after he decided that he would stay in college for another year instead of entering the NFL draft . “No matter where I could have gone, I would probably be doing the same thing,” he reasoned.

“So why not just be here with great people and just play great football. ” According to The New York Times , a top-flight running back in the transfer portal could command anywhere between $400,000 and $900,000 in NIL deals and revenue sharing income in 2026. Martin would certainly be considered at the upper end of that classification as the reigning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year.