DALLAS — For a third consecutive season, BYU running back LJ Martin has been named a preseason candidate for the prestigious Doak Walker Award, presented annually by the PwC SMU Athletic Forum.
Since 1990, the Doak Walker Award has been awarded to college football’s most outstanding running back, including BYU consensus All-American Luke Staley who won the award in 2001.
Martin, a 6-foot-2, 225-pound senior from El Paso, Texas, rushed for 1,305 yards to rank No. 11 nationally in 2025. He was also No. 12 nationally in average yards per game (100.38) and No. 13 in all-purpose yards per game (120.0). Martin’s 1,305 yards rushing were the seventh-most in school history for a single season.
At the conclusion of the 2025 season, Martin was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and first-team All-Big 12 running back. He also received Pro Football Network second-team All-America honors and was a semifinalist for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award. In addition, he was named All-Big 12 by the Pro Football Network, Pro Football Focus and Sports Info Solutions.
Martin was recently selected as the 2026 Big 12 Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and was named preseason All-America by Athlon Sports and Phil Steele. He was also named a candidate for the Maxwell Award and the Walter Camp Player of Year Award. In addition, Martin was selected preseason All-Big 12 by Phil Steele, Athlon Sports, Pro Football Network and Sports Info Solutions.
The Doak Walker Award was named after SMU's three-time All-America running back Doak Walker. Each Tuesday of this season, The PwC SMU Athletic Forum will also announce a Doak Walker National Running Back of the Week.
In November, the Board of Directors for the PwC SMU Athletic Forum will name 10 semifinalists for the Doak Walker Award, and the National Selection Committee will then announce three finalists later in the month. The recipient of the 2024 Doak Walker Award will be announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards on Dec. 10.
BYU kicks off the 2026 football season against Utah Tech on Saturday, Sept. 5 at LaVell Edwards Stadium. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ with the kickoff scheduled for 6 p.m. MDT