Chris Talley Is Still Out — Now WVU Needs Another RB to Step Up

The talented freshman is still waiting to make his debut.

WVU Athletics Communications

It'll be another week without freshman running back Chris Talley for the West Virginia Mountaineers, who is still working his way back from a tweaked hamstring.

"Talley is still out," head coach Rich Rodriguez said earlier this week. "He may be back in a week, maybe two weeks, before he's ready to go."

You might be thinking, is this really THAT big of a deal? The answer to that would be yes. Yes, it is.

Coming into the season, Talley had won the RB3 job over JUCO product Martavious Boswell and fellow freshman Lawrence Autry. They loved his home-run ability, being one of the fastest and most explosive backs in the running back room. When he does make his season debut, he may have to reclaim that role from Boswell, but he will absolutely be a part of the rotation.

As a senior at Whitehaven HS in Tennessee, Talley posted 1,317 yards and 17 touchdowns on 120 carries, averaging 11 yards per tote.

And don't forget, running backs coach Jay Boulware is extremely high on him, stating, "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."

Can Boswell step up in his place?

Sep 12, 2026; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers running back Martavious Boswell (20) runs the ball during the third quarter against the UT Martin Skyhawks at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Boswell looked pretty good in his Mountaineer debut a week ago against UT Martin, totaling 31 yards on eight carries, logging a long of 11. It wasn't anything spectacular, but you could see the immediate burst he has when the ball hits his hands; he gets to top speed in the blink of an eye. The only problem with that is that sometimes operating too fast can lead to small gains when you're not able to set up your blocks. The talent is there for Boswell; he just needs more reps so things can slow down for him a bit.

West Virginia also has Lawrence Autry they can turn to, who totaled nine yards on two carries in the blowout win over the Skyhawks. He's more of the Cam Cook/Amari Latimer mold — get downhill and run through people, more than he is a threat to burn you with his speed.

As long as Cook and Latimer are healthy, the Mountaineers will lean on them in the run game, along with QB Mike Hawkins Jr., but having a third back step up is going to be pivotal for a team that plays eight straight games to open the season.