How Bear Bachmeier and LJ Martin became BYU football leaders

Key Points:

• BYU's football program is spotlighting sophomore quarterback Bear Bachmeier and senior running back LJ Martin as key leaders for the 2026 season, marking the team's fourth year in the Big 12 with high expectations.
• Both Bachmeier and Martin, who are not members of the LDS Church, have become prominent ambassadors for BYU, embodying leadership and humility, partly influenced by a BYU religion class on leadership and the gospel.
• Bachmeier has shown significant growth from a shy freshman to a confident team leader, earning praise for his maturity and work ethic, while Martin is recovering well from offseason shoulder surgery and aims to break school rushing records and pursue an NFL career.
• Head coach Kalani Sitake credits the players' strong family backgrounds for their character development and emphasizes the program's culture of "love and learn," with both Bachmeier and Martin exemplifying these values.
• Bachmeier, last year's Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year, remains focused on staying humble and hungry, looking forward to a major early-season game against Arizona and expressing a strong commitment to BYU football.