West Virginia Considers New Way to Utilize Hungry Veteran WR Jaden Bray

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Unable to show WVU fans what he’s truly capable of to this point, Jaden Bray is poised to finally impact the Mountaineers in 2026.

Bray, who transferred to transferred to West Virginia ahead of the 2024 season, has endured an injury that cut his season in each of his first two years in Morgantown, one for former head coach Neal Brown and in 2025 under the returning Rich Rodriguez.

But the past isn’t a concern for Bray or his head coach. So with Bray feeling as healthy as ever and keeping his mind focused on what’s to come, the WVU offense will heavily rely on its most veteran receiver this fall.

Embracing his role as the leader of the 2026 group, Bray is willing to do whatever he can to help his team win. He’s experienced a multitude of success throughout his college career, from being part of an Oklahoma State team that reached the Big 12 Championship Game in 2023 to watching WVU regress in 2024 and then experience an historically bad last season.

And to the end of being malleable, Rodriguez revealed that he moved Bray to the slot for the first time during West Virginia’s second practice day of fall camp on Friday.

“Jaden Bray is a great young man, a really good football player. He’s had tough luck with injuries, but he’s the alpha in that room,” said Rodriguez about Bray earlier in the offseason. “He’s not a rah-rah guy and all that, but everybody in the program respects him. He’s poised to have a big, big year and I think he would’ve last year, too. He’s a lot of fun to coach, because it’s important to him. He works hard and you never have to worry about his effort and toughness.”

Bray, a versatile receiver with an ability to have success on the outside and unafraid to go to the middle for a catch, could provide the Mountaineers a major size advantage in the slot.

Either way, Bray is confident the 2026 Mountaineers can win. When asked, he mentioned that the work he’s witnessed everyone put in is what makes him the believe the most. Bray actually compared WVU’s talent to his best Oklahoma State team.

WVU wide receiver Jaden Bray during his first game as a Mountaineer in the 2024 season opener against Penn State. (WVSN photo by Kelsie LeRose)

He caught 30 passes for 382 yards and scored a couple touchdowns while playing in 10 games for the 2023 Cowboys. Bray also enjoyed success as a freshman in 2021, recording 13 receptions and 250 yards before his first college injury saw him only appear in three games during the 2022 season.

“I’m trying to still chase that season I had when I was a freshman and junior. Those seasons, I was the happiest, because I was on the field playing,” said Bray. “When you’re on the field, it’s a different type of feeling that you have when you’re hearing the crowd and doing well. That’s when I’m the happiest.”

Due to injury, Bray has only been able to bring in nine receptions for 183 yards in two years in West Virginia.

Find more coverage of Jaden Bray and the WVU football program at WV Sports Now.