why is lj martin not playing

LJ Martin is not playing because he recently had shoulder surgery and is recovering from that procedure, so BYU has ruled him out of the Pop-Tarts Bowl and current team activities.

What happened to LJ Martin?

• BYU head coach Kalani Sitake explained that Martin underwent surgery after dealing with a shoulder injury first suffered in the Iowa State game in late October.

• Even though he played through the injury for several games, the medical staff and Martin decided to get the operation done soon after the regular season to start his recovery.

Why he isn’t playing now

• The surgery timing created a small window where he would inevitably miss the Pop-Tarts Bowl and any football activities scheduled around it while he rehabs.

• Coaches have said the priority is his long‑term health and readiness, whether he returns to BYU for another year or declares for the NFL Draft, so he is being held out instead of risking a setback.

What this means for BYU

• BYU will lean on other running backs on the depth chart to replace their star back, using a rotation instead of one clear feature runner in the bowl game.

• Martin is still around the program during practices and bowl events in a support role, but he will not suit up while he continues his post-surgery recovery.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.