WVU HC Neal Brown Offers Update on CJ Donaldson, Doug Nester

WVU head coach Neal Brown is finally ready to offer a true update on the status of CJ Donaldson and Doug Nester.

Brown previously said he needed to see how both players progressed during the week. But now just a couple days before kickoff, Brown is offering some optimistic news concerning these key players.

First off, Donaldson will be a game-time decision.

“CJ did a little bit yesterday, a little bit today and he’ll be a true game-time decision. Not me like not letting our opponent know, like he really is a game-time decision and so he’ll warm up, he’ll dress,” Brown said about Donaldson during his weekly radio show on Thursday night.

As for if Donaldson will have a major piece to the WVU offensive line in Nester, it sounds as if he has the green light but will be handled cautiously.

“Doug, we’re going to give it you know very similar treatment that he had against BYU. He’ll dress. He’s going to be available. He looked better today than I probably anticipated, we’re very fortunate,” said Brown. “He got rolled up from behind, and I really saw it. It was kind of right in front of me, and I was really concerned that, that was going to be something really bad and it was just an ankle, thankfully.”

Donaldson ran for 79 yards on 14 carries, but did not return to the game after being attended to in the second half. Nester, who returned to action against Oklahoma after missing the win over BYU the previous week, also had to leave the game.

Despite losing 59-20 in Norman, the Mountaineers are listed as a significant favorite in their matchup with the Bearcats. The game will kickoff at 2:30 pm ET and air on ESPN+.