BYU running back LJ Martin will not play in the Pop-Tarts Bowl this weekend as he recovers from surgery.
The junior was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year after leading the conference with 1,305 yards rushing. Martin might have racked up even more yards had he not suffered a shoulder injury against Iowa State in late October.
“There was a small window for him to get the surgery done,” BYU coach Kalani Sitake said of Martin missing the Cougars’ bowl game. “His decision is going to be whether he comes back for his senior year or whether he goes to the NFL. … If he would’ve waited and prolonged [surgery] too long, it wouldn’t have been beneficial for him either way.”
Martin is expected to be in Orlando, cheering on the Cougars — including the trio of backups BYU will lean on.
Enoch Nawahine, Jovesa Damuni, and Preston Rex were used sparingly throughout the season.
“I do have confidence in those guys, but anytime you’re missing the Big 12 [Offensive] Player of the Year, that’s going to be a big loss,” offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick said. “We went into every game this year saying LJ has to carry the ball 20 times and everything else follows. That’s what kind of player he is.”
Roderick said the Cougars will try to replace Martin by committee.
“We’ll spread the ball around,” he said. “If one of them gets hot, then maybe they’ll get more carries.”
The coordinator singled out Damuni as someone he was eager to see perform.
“It’s time to find out who Jovesa is and what he can do for us in the future,” Roderick said. “He has some juice. He has speed and makes some plays in practice sometimes that you think, ‘OK, that’s going to show up in a real game when his time comes.’”