Between The Eers: Donaldson Staying Put
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00:10 Happy Wednesday, everybody.
00:11 Happy hump day as we are halfway through the week here.
00:14 Skylar Callen here on between the ears.
00:17 Some good news for West Virginia yesterday.
00:19 A couple of kids already on the roster, CJ Donaldson and
00:23 Jacoby Spells committed to Country Roads Trust.
00:27 Intending or announcing their intentions to remain with the WVU football program
00:32 for the 2024 season.
00:33 This is good, huge news, obviously.
00:35 The one thing I do wanna kind of quickly get across to you is,
00:40 it's crazy that we're in this time and that things have come to this where we've
00:46 gotta gain recommitments from current players on the roster.
00:51 Virtually every single season, that's just the way it is because of, and
00:56 honestly, as much as kind of annoying as it can be,
01:01 I actually give Country Roads Trust, I give the players some props by doing this.
01:08 Because it kind of lessens that fear of all no,
01:14 is this guy really on board, you know what I mean?
01:16 So now this doesn't by any stretch of the imagination mean that
01:22 this commitment to the trust fully guarantees that they'll be here, right?
01:27 This is not a binding contract.
01:29 This is not something that if they don't oblige to,
01:31 that there could be legal action involved, none of that.
01:35 But that verbal commitment, you would feel and think that, okay,
01:40 there's been something that's been worked out there where there's NIL opportunities.
01:45 They feel good about the situation they're in enough to say, you know what?
01:49 I'm partnering with the trust, aka I'm staying here at WVU.
01:52 So that's the first thing.
01:56 So I understand people getting upset on Facebook and X and
02:01 all social media platforms, say, why are we talking about kids that are already
02:05 on the team committing to the trust, what's the point in that?
02:08 To me, that's exactly what I just said.
02:11 It's alleviating that fear that said player may be entering the portal,
02:16 may have thoughts of entering the portal.
02:17 Again, that can change, get through spring ball.
02:20 Maybe someone has a bad spring, doesn't really work out.
02:23 All of a sudden, plans change and they're in the portal, it can happen.
02:29 But for CJ Donaldson in particular, this is massive.
02:37 I don't think we can talk enough about the importance
02:42 that he's gonna have on this team in 2024.
02:46 Everyone just kind of, I don't wanna say forgot about him, right?
02:49 But when you have a kid like Jaheim Wise, a true freshman,
02:54 just comes in and lights it up in the last, what, month or so of the season.
03:00 Everyone's kind of like falling in love with Jaheim and I get it.
03:05 I mean, it's easy as hell to do.
03:07 I mean, he's a fun player to watch, he's electrifying.
03:10 Every time he touches the ball,
03:11 you think something good's gonna happen with it.
03:14 He brings, I'm not saying the same level of excitement or
03:19 expectation as a table on Austin, but he gives you that same.
03:24 If you just give him the ball, you just wanna sit back and watch and
03:27 kind of hold your breath because you just feel like something big is gonna happen.
03:31 However, that was towards the last month of the season or so.
03:37 I think his first real action came on in the last game of October against UCF.
03:44 CJ battled some things down the stretch,
03:47 obviously the shoulder and some other things along the way.
03:49 He got his ankle banged up a few times throughout the year.
03:54 He hasn't been healthy.
03:56 And to be honest with you, that is the most impressive thing about CJ through
04:01 these first two years, is that it's not impressive that he hasn't been healthy,
04:06 but it's been impressive the type of production that he has had
04:10 without being 100%.
04:12 I mean, this was his first full year where he knew going into the season,
04:17 he had a full offseason working at running back.
04:20 He knew that he was gonna be playing running back.
04:22 His true freshman year, he didn't even know until August, until camp started.
04:25 And they said, you know what, let's throw him at running back,
04:28 see what happens.
04:29 So the fact that he's still learning the position,
04:33 the fact that now teams have already adjusted to him playing the position,
04:37 it's not a surprise anymore.
04:40 Because when he played against Pitt, they had no idea what was gonna happen.
04:44 They probably had heard the rumblings that, hey, they got this true freshman kid
04:48 that converted from tight end to running back, but who the hell?
04:52 Who the hell is he?
04:54 What the hell is he gonna do?
04:55 Well, they found out, as did the rest of the big 12.
04:59 2023, he still had those moments.
05:03 He still had the moments of brilliance.
05:06 He still had those moments where you could see guys just had very little interest
05:10 in tackling him.
05:11 But you saw defenses kind of figure out how to not necessarily stop him,
05:18 but slow him down.
05:19 But again, a part of that is due to the injuries.
05:26 I don't think he was, and I can't speak for CJ, but
05:29 this is just from my perspective looking at these games week by week.
05:34 It didn't look like he fully trusted himself.
05:37 He was playing a little hesitant, he was playing a little unsure.
05:40 And when you're going through some injuries, whether it be the ankle or
05:44 the shoulder, probably the shoulder more than even the ankle,
05:48 because he's such a physical downhill runner.
05:50 He likes contact, he absorbs it well, he sees it, he seeks it.
05:56 And when that element is kind of impacted because you're in pain,
06:04 that's gonna change your game.
06:06 So I really think it's gonna be huge for him this offseason,
06:12 to not only get healthy, but stay healthy heading into fall camp.
06:16 Because if he can put together a full year, and look,
06:23 he's gonna get banged up, that's just how the game is.
06:28 You're gonna go through some nicks and bruises,
06:30 especially with a guy his size playing the way he does.
06:34 It's gonna happen.
06:35 But as long as he can avoid the serious injuries or
06:39 the ones that will really hinder him from playing at his max potential,
06:43 this kid's gonna light it up.
06:47 He's gonna have an 1,000 yard season.
06:49 And that's with Jaheim White doing what he's gonna be able to do in year two.
06:55 So I mean, I think this is the most exciting
07:02 West Virginia offense, going back to, I say, Geno.
07:07 Geno and Tavon and those guys.
07:10 Will Greer, David Seals, Gary Jennings, Hadoff, those guys, they were phenomenal.
07:16 But this offense in particular is gonna be better.
07:20 Now, I sit here and say that on February 7th, a lot of things can change.
07:25 There's a lot of moving parts to this, obviously.
07:28 But as I sit here now, February 7th, from what I see on paper,
07:33 from what we've seen this past season, and what I project,
07:37 this offense with Garrett Green at quarterback, Jaheim White and
07:40 CJ Donaldson at running back.
07:42 All the young receivers that they have, Hudson Clement, Traylon Ray,
07:47 Rodney Gallagher, Preston Fox, Jaden Bray, the Oklahoma State Trench,
07:51 we got Cole Taylor receiving tight end, 6'7".
07:56 Really good offensive line.
07:58 This is gonna be an exciting offense, if CJ Donaldson can stay healthy.
08:04 Jaheim White's gonna be a huge part of this.
08:07 1,000% will be a huge part of this.
08:09 And I think everyone kind of saw what he did in those last four or five games or so,
08:15 and probably was like, he might be the starting running back heading into next
08:19 year, I don't really see it that way.
08:22 And that's not a slight at Jaheim.
08:24 This is more of recognizing what you have in that backfield.
08:30 I mean, you got the perfect duo back there.
08:33 You got Lightning and Thunder.
08:35 You got Jaheim White, CJ Donaldson.
08:38 You've got the perfect duo to just absolutely run right through people.
08:45 And then you have Garrett Green, who can do things with his legs too.
08:48 I mean, it's gonna be an offense that is gonna be exciting to watch.
08:54 They're gonna move the ball constantly.
08:56 They're gonna put points up on the board.
08:57 They're gonna go up and down the field on people.
08:59 It's gonna be fun.
09:01 But if you take CJ Donaldson out of it, or if he's not 100%,
09:07 now all that focus gets poured onto Jaheim White.
09:12 You're gonna need another running back to step up, whether that be Jalen Anderson,
09:16 Dior Hubbard, Travion Dunbar, somebody's gotta obviously step up.
09:23 But if you take CJ out of it, you lose that physicality.
09:28 You're not, Jaheim White is as good as a running back as he is.
09:31 He's just not that guy.
09:32 That's not his style.
09:33 And I think we kinda saw that a little bit in the bowl game,
09:39 where you don't really have that hammer that you just pound.
09:43 And even though he only had five carries, CJ only had five carries against
09:46 Cincinnati, he had five carries against Baylor.
09:49 But again, if you take him completely out of it,
09:54 he doesn't play at all like he did in the bowl game, it's gonna change things.
09:59 Jaheim White was still good, but he wasn't what he was against Cincinnati or
10:06 even Baylor, even once he just had a handful of carries.
10:08 And I'm not saying that's gonna make a huge, huge difference just to five carries,
10:13 but I'm telling you now, just the threat of it,
10:17 just the thought of it is going to drive defensive coordinators crazy,
10:22 to have to deal with those three guys, Garrett, CJ, and Jaheim.
10:26 These two in particular, Jaheim and CJ, I mean,
10:34 I don't think I'm going out too far on a limb here and saying they could easily,
10:39 easily be the best running back tandem in the Big 12.
10:44 And maybe the top five or so in college football,
10:49 there's a lot of good ones out there.
10:53 But this offense, this team's potential
10:58 will go through the roof if CJ Donaldson is healthy.
11:05 The dude's six foot two, 240, 235 pounds, playing running back.
11:10 No one wants to tackle him.
11:14 Would you?
11:15 I know I wouldn't.
11:16 And then as soon as you get worn down from CJ Donaldson,
11:20 pounding it in between the tackles, time and time and time again,
11:27 now everything changes.
11:28 You throw Jaheim out there as a change up.
11:30 Now you gotta get fast.
11:33 And once Jaheim wears you down, you get tired, hands on head and
11:37 hips and knees and whatever.
11:39 Here comes CJ.
11:42 You have no energy.
11:44 This offense is going to be so fun to watch.
11:46 I truly believe it.
11:49 CJ Donaldson, I think we'll have a 1,000 yard season the first since
11:53 Luddy Brown, and I think Jaheim White could be not too far behind him.
11:58 This is going to be a run heavy attack.
12:01 They will throw the ball.
12:01 They're going to air it out a little bit.
12:03 But the potential of this running game,
12:07 especially with what Matt Moore has done with those fellows up front,
12:12 it's going to be an art.
12:16 It really is.
12:17 So let's see if CJ can stay healthy this offseason, get through spring ball.
12:23 I don't expect them to probably play that much or
12:26 seek that much contact in spring ball.
12:29 They may just keep him in limited capacity, which would probably be a smart thing
12:34 before revving him up or ramping him up in fall camp.
12:37 So let me know your thoughts on the mountain near backfield.
12:40 That duo of CJ Donaldson and Jaheim White, how good can they be?
12:46 That'll wrap it up for me here today on Between the Ears.
12:50 Make sure you hit that subscribe button on YouTube of Mountaineers Now.
12:53 Give us a like and a follow @TheSameHandle on X.
12:57 I'm Skylar Callen.
12:58 Thank you guys for tuning in.
12:59 We'll be back here tomorrow morning.
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