Another WVU Freshman Stud RB? Chris Talley is 'Going to Be Special'

Ideally, West Virginia will have a three-man rotation at the running back spot in 2026. Maybe four.

Even with the nation's leading rusher in 2025, Cam Cook, leading the way, Rich Rodriguez would like to have a handful of guys he feels confident in handing the ball to. With all of the injuries that happened in the running back room last year, it served as a lesson to everyone that you can never have enough depth there, or at any position.

Cam Cook and Amari Latimer will be the first two names you see on the Mountaineers' depth chart whenever they decide to release one, but after Latimer, it's still being sorted out.

Running backs coach Jay Boulware was asked about the group behind Latimer — Chris Talley, Martavious Boswell, and Lawrence Autry — and who has stood out.

“The guy of that crew, I like what all of them are doing — they all bring something to the table, man. Boswell with his speed. He’s got tremendous, tremendous speed. If you don’t take a good angle, he’s gone.

"Talley is probably the one that I’ve been the most pleased with after the first two," he continued. "He’s got something special, man. And I said it from the day that I first saw him on the field. He’s smooth. He kind of glides. He’s got speed. He understands how to get down low and finish runs. And he’s fearless. He’ll go in there and run…I mean, he’s just got something to him that I really like. I look forward to coaching that kid over the next several years here and seeing how he continues to develop because I think he’s going to be special as well.”

As I talked about yesterday, Talley's ability to change direction without losing speed is elite. He's super shifty and can wiggle his way out of trouble.

“He’s really good (off the ball)," Boulware said. "He can catch. He needs to work on blocking a little bit. He knows that; that’s not a secret. He’s not as big as the other guys, so he’s got to bring it every time. But he’s put on some good weight. He came in here at 180-something, and he’s 190-something pounds now. I’ve been really pleased with the work that our strength staff has done with him, our dietitians, and everybody in this building has done a great job with our running backs.”

During his senior season at Whitehaven HS in Memphis, TN, Talley racked up 1,317 yards and 17 touchdowns on 120 carries, averaging 11 yards per tote.

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