Salt Lake City, Utah: BYU Lists LJ Martin as Doubtful for the Utah Game, but ESPN Reports He Is Trending Toward Playing

The biggest question hanging over Saturday's Holy War in Salt Lake City is not the rankings. No. 9 BYU plays No. 3 Utah at Rice-Eccles Stadium, and five weeks after a lower body injury, the Cougars still do not know whether their best running back will play.

Two labels for the same player

BYU released its initial availability report on Wednesday night and listed LJ Martin as doubtful for the Utah game. Sports Illustrated reported that the doubtful tag is the Big 12 designation for a player with about a 25 percent chance to play.

Minutes before that report came out, ESPN's Pete Thamel reported the opposite lean. Thamel said Martin is considered questionable, the designation for about a 50 percent chance to play, and that he has been cleared to practice and has been available all week. Thamel reported Martin is trending toward dressing, being available and having some impact on the game, with a final decision to come later in the week. If Martin does return, Thamel reported, he is not expected to be at 100 percent and could be limited.

Five weeks on the sideline

Martin was hurt early in BYU's win over TCU on Oct. 3. Thamel reported at the time that the running back was expected to miss four to six weeks. He has now missed four games. BYU beat Notre Dame and Arizona State without him, but the running game has struggled in his absence. In the 27-20 win over Arizona State, the Cougars ran for just 47 yards on 29 carries, Sports Illustrated reported.

Before the injury, Martin had run for 344 yards and three touchdowns in four games. He is the reigning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, an award he won for the 2025 season.

What BYU's coaches say

Offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick said Martin practiced on Tuesday. "He practiced today," Roderick said. "I'd say he did some good things. I'd say it's too soon to say if he's going to be ready by Saturday." Roderick also said Martin is not all the way back yet, that he is running, and that the staff is trying to bring him along.

The rest of the report

Martin is not the only name on BYU's list. The Cougars also listed cornerback Evan Johnson and tight end Roger Saleapaga as doubtful. Johnson hurt an ankle against UCF and did not play against Arizona State. Saleapaga left the Arizona State game with an injury. Running back Preston Rex, who missed the Arizona State game, is in line to return after a breakout game against Notre Dame and an injury against UCF.

Utah has losses of its own. Utes coach Morgan Scalley announced on Monday that freshman offensive lineman Kelvin Obot is out for the season, and offensive lineman Isaiah Garcia has also been ruled out, according to the Sports Illustrated injury report.

Kickoff in Salt Lake City

Kickoff is Saturday, Nov. 7 at noon Eastern on ABC in Salt Lake City. A final decision on Martin is expected later in the week, and both the doubtful tag on BYU's report and the trending reports out of practice will follow the Cougars into the stadium.