Two seasons ago, nobody knew the name CJ Donaldson. He was just a low rated TE recruit that came to West Virginia and was moved to running back for more depth at the position. But in the first game of the season against Pitt, Donaldson exploded for 125 yards on just seven carries.
Now, the running back after his sophomore season seems to be the forgotten running back after his co-star Jahiem White burst onto the scene and became an All-American Freshman last year.
People might be quick to forget that after a freshman season of 526 yards (6 yards per carry) and eight touchdowns, Donaldson would have been one of the most sought after freshman in the country should he have entered the transfer portal. But the Miami native returned to WVU and now, the running back room is deeper than ever.
During Big 12 media days this summer, Neal Brown pointed out that Donaldson has had a hard time staying healthy. Brown added that this summer, Donaldson has moved better than ever and looks to be fully healthy.
During his freshman season, Donaldson missed five total games to injuries and last season hardly saw the field in the last two regular season games with an ankle injury.
But despite the lack of playing time Donaldson still had a sneaky good season for the Mountaineers a year ago. He finished the year with 798 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns while only having ten total carries combined the last two games.
Should Donaldson be able to stay healthy and on the field in 2024, his presence adds a completely different dynamic to the West Virginia offense. Behind one the the best offensive lines in the country, Neal Brown will have the power of CJ Donaldson, explosiveness of Jaheim White and the elusiveness of Garrett Greene to work with every single drive.
It’s easy to forget CJ Donaldson after the end he had to his season last year while his freshman teammate Jahiem White became a national well-known name, but the 6-foot-2 former TE could have something to say about reminding fans how good he really is when the offense takes the field week one against Penn State.
A healthy CJ Donaldson in the 2024 season could be scary. And fans will remember quickly why they love having Donaldson in the backfield. A healthy CJ Donaldson could help the Mountaineers raise a Big 12 Trophy.
