PROVO — Earlier than Saturday’s regular-season finale, LJ Martin took a brief pregame jog with 21 of his BYU teammates.
For 18 of them, it could be the ultimate time — barring an as-yet surprising Faculty Soccer Playoff residence recreation — they might run out of the tunnel, and seniors like Chase Roberts, Tanner Wall, Logan Lutui and Jack Kelly have been making an attempt to get pleasure from it.
For Martin and teammates Isaiah Glasker, Keanu Tanuvasa and punter Sam Vander Haar, there’s an opportunity they’ll be again. However possibly not.
And so simply in case, the Cougars gave the quartet a correct sendoff with their graduating seniors, handing out a senior blanket earlier than a 41-21 win over UCF and permitting them to stroll throughout LaVell Edwards Stadium one closing time.
In between, Martin ran for 95 yards and a career-best three touchdowns on 22 carries, ending 5 yards shy of what would’ve been the seventh 100-yard dashing recreation of the season and ninth of his profession.
After the season — which can embody subsequent week’s Huge 12 championship recreation in Martin’s native Texas and a bowl recreation or potential CFP berth — Martin has a call to make. After three years at BYU, he’ll be eligible to enter the NFL draft within the spring.
After all, the switch portal all the time beckons for any participant in faculty soccer. However Martin has the possibility to switch to knowledgeable franchise, and start an NFL clock that has turn out to be all-too-short for operating backs.
“Simply the suggestions I’ve gotten, it was recommended (to stroll on senior day),” Martin mentioned in his standard reserved method after the sport.
The ultimate resolution will include quite a lot of thought, some possible interviews, and prayers by each Martin and his household. It possible gained’t be one he takes flippantly. Earlier than then, the previous Canutillo Excessive star in El Paso hopes to have a number of video games left, starting with the primary convention championship recreation look in 27 years and a Faculty Soccer Playoff berth for the primary time in class historical past.
“We simply have to go on the market and show it,” Martin mentioned, answering affirmatively when requested if BYU is a Playoff group, “like we’ve been making an attempt to do.”
Identical for Glasker, whose inventory undeniably crescendoed in the course of the 2025 season enjoying alongside teammate Jack Kelly, and Tanuvasa, the previous All-Huge 12 honorable point out who performed 24 video games in three seasons at Utah earlier than totaling 23 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, two sacks and two passes defended in 12 begins with the Cougars.
Worst-case situation, head coach Kalani Sitake says, entails BYU honoring a participant twice and awarding two senior blankets.
“I’m all the time going to need what’s finest for our gamers,” Sitake mentioned. “We need to be sure we give each participant a farewell and senior recreation, whether or not they determine to check the NFL draft or come again for an additional season.”
That may very well be the case for Martin, the previous Alamo Bowl offensive MVP who ran for 1,229 yards and 11 touchdowns behind an offensive line that will even lose Isaiah Jatta, Austin Leausa and Weylin Lapuaho to commencement — although he mentioned his resolution hasn’t been made.
“I simply need to profit from the alternatives that I’m given,” Martin mentioned. “I’m simply glad that we’re getting it accomplished.
“I believe these are cool stats for the O-line, to indicate that they have been transferring guys and getting the job accomplished.”
Earlier than Martin, Tyler Allgeier was one other breakout NFL again earlier than coming into the NFL draft in 2021. The choice was comprehensible — Allgeier piled up 1,606 yards and 23 touchdowns in his redshirt junior marketing campaign, his second straight topping the 1,000-yard mark and fourth after redshirting 4 video games in 2018.
BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick has been “reluctant” to match any of his tailbacks to Allgeier, the previous fifth-round choose in his fourth season with the Atlanta Falcons. However Martin has earned the excellence — particularly after operating for a career-high 222 yards and two touchdowns on an eye-popping 32 carries in a 26-14 win over Cincinnati.
“That was an evening you may say he was Tyler-esque, for positive,” Roderick mentioned. “Tyler was an incredible participant, and LJ is a good participant — and I believe you may say they’re each a few the nice ones which have performed right here.”
And if Saturday was his final residence recreation in a BYU uniform, he left a powerful impression.
“He didn’t simply come up on a thousand yards this season,” Leausa mentioned. “It’s all the work he put in by means of the offseason and all the success he’s had. It’s undoubtedly one thing that he’s been working very arduous in direction of.”
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