Asti: WVU’s CJ Donaldson Facing Pressure to Perform in 2024

CJ Donaldson has been able to fly under the radar most of the offseason, but that’s going to change very soon. He’s high on a short list of Mountaineers facing pressure to perform in 2024.

After emerging as a freshman sensation in 2022, Donaldson endured more of a roller coaster ride during the 2023 season. While he did finish with 798 yards and 11 touchdowns, the then sophomore running back also struggled mightily at times.

Some will defend Donaldson’s tough stretch – he posted averages of 3.2, 2.8 and 3.0 yards per carry in three consecutive weeks – with arguments about the defense stacking the box against him. And while that’s true and those arguments have validity, WVU was expecting far more from Donaldson, who entered last season as West Virginia’s top back, something that’s no longer the case. As Neal Brown said at the time, to be a true top back, you have to overcome the defense scheming against you.

Kelsie LeRose / WVSN

While Donaldson was trying to find his footing, Jahiem White was breaking out as a freshman sensation in his own right. White was tearing it up so much that he was drawing comparison to the success Steve Slaton enjoyed right out of the gate. White would eventually become WVU’s leading rusher with 842 yards and an eye-popping average of 7.7 yards per touch.

White’s first big game came against BYU, running for 146 yards on only 16 carries. He then really caught everyone’s attention (including a former NFL MVP) after putting up monster numbers in a win over Cincinnati. White averaged 9.7 yards per touch, totaling 204 yards on the ground and then another 75 yards receiving.

Ironically enough, Donaldson wasn’t surprised by his younger teammate’s instant rise.

“He’s a special young man. I’ve been telling ya’ll. I’ve been seeing it for 8 or 9 months now. He steals stuff from me. I steal stuff from him,” said Donaldson about White in October.

White took some of the pressure off Donaldson, who ended the year missing the Duke’s Mayo Bowl with an injury that led to another surgery. But even with White entrenched as a star, West Virginia will still look to Donaldson to regain his past form and balance out the Mountaineer rushing attack, especially since both runners compliment each other well with different builds and styles.

Where Does WVU’s Jahiem White Rank Among Big 12 Running Backs?

Brown and his staff hope a full season of both White and Donaldson at their best provide the WVU offense with a two-headed monster on the ground. The expectations are White will be even better with college games now under his belt and sharing the load with another elite back will allow Donaldson to remain healthy through an entire season, something he hasn’t been able to accomplish yet.

Brown has been vocal about Donaldson needing to be in better shape before he’s trusted with more carries, but that might not even be an issue with White there as a focal point to open the season.

Kelsie LeRose / WVSN

It will also be interesting to see how Donaldson is handled early in the season. Will Brown and his staff be cautious with Donaldson early on? Will they want to test him as soon as possible to truly see how healthy he is and how effective he can be? Will they reduce his time on the field if he struggles due to a confidence in White and others behind him?

Regardless what happens, one thing is certain – WVU will not wait around for Donaldson to get going this year and he has pressure to prove himself all over again.

For a related story, read Mike Asti’s full position breakdown for West Virginia’s running backs.

WVU Football 2024 Position Group Preview: West Virginia RB Room Full of Hype, Pressure