BYU star running back LJ Martin, who hasn't played since Oct. 3 due to an ankle injury, returned for the Cougars' showdown against No. 3 Utah on Saturday.
Martin was listed as questionable on the Big 12 availability report released Friday night, but coach Kalani Sitake told ESPN before the game that the reigning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year would give it a go.
"Obviously, we know that he's coming back from an injury, but not feeling like he has to do it all by himself," Sitake told ESPN. "It's a team sport for a reason, so everybody just has to do their one-eleventh on the field."
Martin has been sidelined since suffering the injury in a 17-10 win at TCU on Oct. 3. He was expected to miss four to six weeks, sources told ESPN at the time.
The Cougars have gone 3-1 in his absence, with Sione Moa and Preston Rex mostly filling in for Martin.
A 6-foot-2, 225-pound senior, Martin rushed for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2025 while helping the Cougars win 12 games and reach the Big 12 championship game. He had 344 yards rushing and three scores on 7.8 yards per carry this season before the injury.
