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BYU freshman running back LJ Martin (27) jogs to the sideline during a college football game against Sam Houston at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday, September 2, 2023.

Nate Edwards/BYU Photo

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BYU freshman running back LJ Martin explodes up the field during the game against Arkansas at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2023.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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Freshman running back LJ Martin answers questions in a post-game news conference after a game against Sam Houston at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday, September 3, 2023.

Jaren Wilkey/BYU Photo

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BYU freshman running back LJ Martin dives into the end zone during the game against Arkansas at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2023.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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BYU freshman running back LJ Martin attempts to elude a tackler during the game against Sam Houston at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023.

Marcia Harris, Special to the Herald

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When BYU sophomore running back LJ Martin got asked Friday about how he felt things were going int camp, he reminded the reporters that it’s a new experience for him.

“It’s been really fun just getting back out with the guys,” Martin said. “This is my first spring ball ever, so it’s just really fun to be out here and see what it’s about. ”

Martin joined the Cougars as a freshman last summer and didn’t take long to become a contributor, finishing the 2023 season with 518 yards on 109 carries with four TDs.

“I would just say it was just really fun, getting out here and seeing what it’s all about,” Martin said. “It’s been a blessing. I’m really grateful for the opportunity that the coaches have given me.”

The 6-foot-2, 225-pound running back from El Paso, Texas, wants what he’s already done to be just the beginning of an excellent career. That means taking advantage of all the practice times he gets, including in spring.

“Spring is really important,” Martin said. “I’m just trying to get better at all aspects of the game: running, catching, pass blocking, just everything. There is not one area of my game that I can’t improve so I’ve just got to work on everything.”

He spent a lot of time in the offseason working to bulk up to be better prepared for the physicality of college football.

“During this winter I added like 20 pounds and I feel the same,” Martin said. “I think it’s just that I’m still used to my body growing. I feel great and I actually feel a bit faster. I also worked on my speed and changing direction, trying to get in and out of breaks quicker.”

But he said he knows he needs to be stronger and faster to accomplish his goals this year.

And BYU will need Martin and the other running backs to carry the load. Unlike years past, the Cougars haven’t yet added to the unit through the transfer portal.

It was a decision that could be viewed as a vote of confidence in the athletes already in Provo.

“It means a lot to all of us,” Martin said. “We know what Miles Davis is capable of. He’s a big playmaker. You saw two years ago in the Stanford game that Hinckley Ropati is capable of being a great playmaker when he gets healthy. And Jovesa Damuni, Enoch Nawahine, Pokaiaua Haunga and Sione Moa, they’re all playmakers and they can really do well. I’m just really thankful that gives us the opportunity to go out there and prove ourselves.”

Cougar head coach Kalani Sitake said Martin has done well to show what he can do, but he still needs to earn his reps just like everyone else.

“We know what he can do,” Sitake said at the beginning of camp. “It’s a matter of seeing what the other guys can do. I think we’ve shown that we can use more than one running back. But someone could take over and then end up becoming the guy who stands out the most. We’ll give them a chance to do that. We’ll see if Martin can separate from the others and if not, we know we can count on a couple more guys to do it too.”

The running back room is a microcosm of the direction BYU went as a program, relying more on continuity then bringing in a lot of new players.

“For what we want and what we need, I think we’re in a really good spot,” Sitake said at the beginning of camp. “There are a lot of new faces at other programs, but I think for us we’ve got to really double down on our culture. It’s hard to do that when there’s a bunch of moving parts but I think you have to be able to have a good stable foundation. I think we have that now. Last year we were trying to add more depth and that depth is going to help us out this year.”

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