When BYU'S preseason training camp began in early August, offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick told the Deseret News that a late addition to the BYU running backs room was going to have an impact on the Cougars' offense at some point this season.
Few people at the time had heard about freshman Journee Tonga , and Roderick's bold statement was brushed off a bit because BYU's running back situation seemed to be in good hands with reigning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year LJ Martin and primary backup Sione Moa returning in 2026. Defender-turned-running back Preston Rex was also back with a season's worth of experience on that side of the ball.
Turns out, Roderick's premonition was accurate. After Moa sustained a season-ending injury in the opener against Utah Tech, Rex and Tonga were pushed into bigger roles.
And now, with a report from ESPN that Martin will be out for at least a month, probably longer, Tonga's role will get even bigger. The 5-foot-8, 198-pound newcomer from Lawndale, California, whose enrollment at BYU was delayed by some issues with his high school transcripts, figures to eventually move into Martin's previous role as the bell cow running back for the Cougars.
"I don't want to make grandiose statements yet about (Tonga) as a player, because he's only played a little bit, but we really believe in him," Roderick said Tuesday. "He's a good player. He's a good back, and he's a good receiver, and he blocks (well). He's a good all-around player."
And he's in some pretty good company.
In 2012, after starting RB Michael Alisa suffered a fractured forearm against Hawaii, then 17-year-old Jamaal Williams took the RB1 role and finished the season with 166 carries for 775 yards and 12 touchdowns. Williams became BYU's all-time leading rusher in 2016 before moving on to the NFL.
In 2020, coaches asked Tyler Allgeier to move from linebacker to running back because injuries had left that position group thin. Allgeier had 1,130 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on 150 carries that year, then went on to set the BYU single-season rushing yards record with 1,606 in 2021.
Tonga has appeared in three games, rushing 19 times for 157 yards and a touchdown. Rex has carried the ball 18 times for 94 yards and two TDs. Before he sustained the lower leg injury against TCU last week, Martin had picked up 344 yards on 44 carries, an average of 7.8 yards per carry.
So the senior will be missed, obviously.
The Cougars are also without veteran running back Jovesa Damuni , who sustained a serious knee injury in spring camp and has yet to return to full-time practicing. Another possibility for carries is freshman Devaughn Eka, who has had 12 carries for 87 yards in blowout wins over Utah Tech and Colorado State.
"We feel like we've narrowed the gap quite a bit from one to two to three (in the RBs room), and we have a committee of guys that can do it," head coach Kalani Sitake said Monday. "I think Preston Rex has done an amazing job, and Journee Tonga's got in there and done some really good things, too. And we're gonna see Devaughn Eka get in there and do some things.
"I don't want to make grandiose statements yet about (Tonga) as a player, because he's only played a little bit, but we really believe in him. He's a good player. He's a good back, and he's a good receiver, and he blocks (well). He's a good all-around player."
"That room is deep, man. It goes even deeper than that. So we have guys that can play, and these guys can play at a lot of other places. They choose to be here," Sitake continued. "We talk about our depth, and we just got to trust it and let these guys do some of the stuff that LJ was able to do. This is their time."
Coincidentally, BYU got a taste of life without Martin last October against Iowa State. He left in the first half with a shoulder injury and did not return. Forced to throw more, quarterback Bear Bachmeier passed for 307 yards against the Cyclones.
Prior to that game, Iowa State had not allowed a 300-yard passer in 21 straight games.
"Same school (on Friday), but totally different team, different coaches," Roderick said. "But to that point, yeah, we just shift gears a little bit. We're still gonna run the same offense. We're gonna do the same things we always do. But we have a lot of good players, and so we'll find ways to get our best players the ball. I have a lot of confidence in this team even without LJ."
Count Bachmeier among those who believe that Tonga can hold down the fort until Martin returns.
"My first impression was, man, this guy's got big calves," Bachmeier said. "I actually played with his brother in youth football. So, yeah, I love the Tongas. He's a great player and a great young man as well."
BYU running back Preston Rex (12) runs against Utah linebacker Trey Reynolds (37) during the first quarter of the game at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
