Week 5’s college football night slate brings an exciting matchup between the No. 25 BYU Cougars and Colorado Buffaloes as Deion Sanders’ team hosts the ranked opponent in Boulder. With a high-upside offense on one side taking on an elite defense on the other, this game looks like a chess match of sorts with a little bit of upset appeal. We’re taking a look at the individuals who could shape the outcome of the Big 12 contest.
Here’s the best player prop bets for Colorado vs. BYU on Saturday night in Week 5 of the 2025 college football season.
Colorado vs. BYU prop bets
LJ Martin 110+ rushing yards (+110)
One of the most underrated halfbacks in college football, BYU’s LJ Martin has destroyed the competition through his first three games of 2025. After racking up 718 yards and seven scores with an efficient 5.2 YPC last season, he’s now basically halfway to that yardage total on less than 1/3 of the total touches in 2025. Martin has 342 yards and a score on just 40 carries, an absurd average of 8.6 YPC. Granted his three appearances came against ECU, Stanford, and Portland State (FCS), but the results are very tough to deny.
Martin posted at least 101 yards in all three contests and hit the 110-yard mark in his last two games. He’s a clear-cut lead option for a BYU offense that runs the ball around 57% of the time, and the matchup today provides even more intrigue than the volume alone. Colorado allows 194.8 rushing yards per game, an average that sits 102nd in the FBS. With a soft run defense and lack of difference-makers in the trenches, the Buffaloes certainly bump up the upside for Martin on the ground. The +110 odds for 110+ yards are fitting, and while the line appears high to the untrained eye, he’s capable of hitting that and more.
Kaidon Salter 203+ passing yards (-114)
Transfer quarterback Kaidon Salter came to Boulder with very high expectations as he stepped in for Shedeur Sanders, who departed for the NFL. One of the most efficient passers in college football, Sanders orchestrated a high-flying offense during his time with the Buffaloes and poured plenty of points onto the scoreboard. Well, Colorado hasn’t typically done the same in 2025, but Salter just posted his best game yet last week with 304 passing yards and three touchdowns against Wyoming. He showed growth in that contest and now will be counted on to do so again, albeit against a far superior opponent.
Salter has 565 yards and four touchdowns without an interception this year, completing 66.7% of his passes as well. He’s a dual-threat signal-caller who defenses must account for on the ground, so that aspect of his game does help against a strong BYU defense. While he might struggle a little bit, this player prop is elevated by the potential for high volume if Colorado falls behind early and decides to go pass-happy to catch up. The 203-yard mark isn’t particularly high, and with some nice weapons and negative game script a possibility, Salter can go over 203 yards easily on Saturday night.
