EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – Anyone who saw LJ Martin star for Canutillo High School from 2019-2022 knows the running back is one of the best players to come out El Paso in recent years. Now, it appears that the Big 12 will soon find out about him, too.
A true freshman at BYU in 2023, the four-star recruit only just arrived on campus in Provo, Utah, back in June, but he’s already making waves with the Cougars’ coaching staff.
Martin scored two touchdowns in BYU’s intrasquad scrimmage last weekend. In a recent interview with BYU.tv, Cougars offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick raved about Martin’s skills and said that he would see plenty of action as a true freshman in 2023.
“LJ Martin is a standout in camp so far. He’s one of the best players on this team,” Roderick said. “He will play this year. He’s a very good football player. I try not to get too excited about freshman sometimes, but he’s already proven that he’s going to be a player for us this season.”
Martin is a part of a loaded BYU running back room that also includes Aidan Robbins, Deion Smith, Hinckley Ropati, and Miles Davis. Robbins is the starter and Smith is next in line, but Martin appears to be ready to factor into the mix as well.
At 6’2, 205 pounds, Martin has looked like a Power-5 running back since he was a junior at Canutillo. The coveted recruit rushed for over 5,000 yards in his high school career and proved to be a worthy all-purpose back as a receiver out of the backfield and as a pass blocker.
Seeing playing time as a freshman is nothing new for him, either. Martin was called up to Canutillo’s varsity as a freshman back in 2019, so he might be able to draw on that experience at BYU.
Martin and BYU open the 2023 season on Sept. 2 at home vs. Sam Houston.
