The Mountaineers’ running back room has been a really solid part of the team’s offense over the last two years. Losing lead back CJ Donaldson to Ohio State this offseason has shaken things up a bit. Let’s take a look at how the position group will look in 2025.
Over the last two seasons, the West Virginia rushing attack has been the main focus of the offense. In 2024, the team ranked No. 27 in the country with 185.9 rushing yards per game, led by tandem Jahiem White and Cj Donaldson who combined for 18 rushing touchdowns. The rushing attack was even better in 2023 when they ranked No. 5 in the country with 222.7 yards per game.
The running back room took a hit when they lost CJ Donaldson in the transfer portal to Ohio State. Donaldson ran for 751 yards and scored 11 touchdowns. The Mountaineers also lost Chad Scott, who was coaching the running backs, to Texas earlier this offseason.
The backfield will be led by soon-to-be junior Jahiem White, who has shown flashes of being a premiere talent at this level. Over his first two seasons with WVU, White has run for 1,687 yards and scored 11 times while also adding 247 receiving yards and three touchdowns in that span. White may be poised for a breakout season in a backfield where is going to get a higher percentage of the snaps.
Tye Edwards is a redshirt senior who transferred from Northern Iowa and is expected to be the second back on the depth chart. Edwards stands at 6-foot-2, 237 pounds, and in his three seasons at UTSA and Northern Iowa, he recorded 1,601 yards and 11 touchdowns. Edwards could be a great second option to Jahiem White because of his blend of size and speed.
Rich Rodriguez and his staff emphasized adding depth to the running back position in the first wave of the transfer portal, adding a bunch of new names to add some competition to the room. They were able to replace the loss of Chad Scott with Alan Porter, an experienced coach who spent a large portion of his coaching career at UNC and is held in high regard around the country as a recruiter. Rodriguez was also able to bring former WVU running back Noel Devine, who will be an assistant running backs coach.
