To say that a top-10 position ranking is disrespectful is a bit hyperbolic, I'll be the first to admit, but when it comes to BYU's star running back LJ Martin, it still feels like the nation isn't quite ready to admit that one of the nation's best rushers resides in Provo, Utah.
It's not in the program's idiom, as BYU football got its name as the creator of the Air Raid offense, where running backs are an afterthought and damage is done through the air.
But now boasting a powerful rushing duo out of the backfield, BYU football may just have one of the scariest two-headed running threats in all of college football -- not just the Big 12 Conference, of which Martin was named the 2025 Offensive Player of the Year.
In a recent list curated by ESPN, LJ Martin was ranked behind eight other tailbacks from across the nation.
In the immortal words of Ron Swanson, I unabashedly proclaim that ninth place is "too low. Show some [darn] respect."
ESPN ranks LJ Martin as the 9th best running back going into next season
— Bill (@Billgetzfroggy) June 18, 2026
Is this accurate or disrespectful? pic.twitter.com/0A4X49UuEt
ESPN quoted an ACC personnel director who had plenty to say about what Martin brings both at this level and how that could project in the NFL.
"He's one of those guys who might not get a lot of love and pub, but he just is a really good player," analyzed the anonymous director. "I don't know how well he'll test or stand out to NFL scouts, but he's a tough son of a gun who does everything you want: blocking, pass catching, running the ball between the tackles and he breaks a lot of tackles."
"Martin broke 43 tackles last season and consistently moved the chains for Kalani Sitake's squad in rushing for 77 first downs, second most among Power 4 backs behind Lacy. He missed this spring after offseason shoulder surgery but should go right back to being a durable, dependable back who makes BYU a Big 12 contender."
Martin's return is one of the most convincing arguments in favor of BYU football winning the Big 12 Championship and reaching the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history, and I feel his supposed lack of NFL measurables and athleticism are extremely exaggerated in the above quote. A powerful force who reliably drives his tree trunki frame through defenders, he's one of the most formidable ball carriers in the nation.
A ranking is opinionated and doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of things, but considering what LJ Martin accomplished as a junior, the country should be horrified of what he may inflict in his final season of eligilbility.
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