ESPN Identifies Potential 'Sleeper' for the BYU Football Program

With Independence Day in the rearview mirror, the college football season is just under two months away. ESPN picked a potential "sleeper" for every team in its preseason top 25. They categorized the sleepers as "under-the-radar players who could make a big impact".

For BYU, ESPN's Kyle Bonagura selected junior running back LJ Martin.

After rushing for 518 and 718 yards in the past two seasons, Martin has steadily become a key player for BYU, but he hasn't quite broken out nationally. He already figured to see his role grow as a junior in 2025, but with quarterback Jake Retzlaff set to transfer, Martin could be relied on more heavily -- especially early in the season as the QB situation gets settled. Martin had a pair of 100-yard rushing games last season and finished with a strong performance in the bowl win against Colorado, with 88 yards rushing and a pair of touchdowns.Kyle Bonagura

The Big 12 was loaded at the running back position in 2024. Whether it was Cam Skattebo at Arizona State, Devin Neal at Kansas, DJ Giddens at Kansas State, or RJ Harvey at UCF, there were NFL-caliber running backs all across the conference. BYU's LJ Martin, meanwhile, remained under the radar as he missed a good portion of the season due to injury.

Now an upperclassman, Martin has the potential to not only lead the BYU offense through a quarterback transition, but he also has the talent to become one of the best backs in the conference. When healthy, Martin is one of the top two weapons on BYU's offense.

Whether McCae Hillstead, Treyson Bourguet, or Bear Bachmeier is under center, Martin will play a pivotal role for the BYU offense while the new quarterbacks gets up to speed.