Why Losing Jahiem White Stings But Will Not Derail West Virginia's 2026 Plans

During his two years and change in Morgantown, running back Jahiem White was one of the most, if not the most, dynamic players on the West Virginia football roster. Every time he touched the ball, you had the feeling that something special could happen, and oftentimes it did.

After not seeing the field through the first half of his true freshman campaign, he burst onto the scene in a road game against UCF, and from that point on, he became the electrifying back we all know him as. Injuries are a part of the game, but White is coming off a season-ending knee injury, marking the second straight offseason he'll spend a good chunk of his time recovering. Last year, he suffered a lower-body injury in the Frisco Bowl against Memphis.

On Monday, news dropped that White plans to enter the transfer portal in January, which caught a lot of Mountaineer fans off guard because of the responses he had to fans earlier in the week on Instagram asking if he would be returning.

WVU has been holding exit interviews with players, discussing the report on them for the 2025 season, their future, and if they have a spot on next year's roster. Pretty much every one of those talks will feature some time spent on money. Those figures are not generally made available to the media or public, but it's within reason to assume West Virginia was a little weary of offering a decent-sized package to White, considering the injuries he's had the past two years.

So, what now for West Virginia?

When a player of Jahiem's caliber would depart in the past, everyone would panic and assume trouble lies ahead. Don't get me wrong, losing White stings for WVU, but probably not as much as it would have in the past.

Rich Rodriguez signed five running backs during the early signing period, two of whom are going to have a chance to be significant contributors from day one in JUCO star Martavious Boswell and four-star recruit Amari Latimer, who flipped from Wisconsin. Those two, plus another incoming freshman, Christopher Talley, will be enrolling early. Big, physical back Lawrence Autry and the speedy SirPaul Cheeks will arrive in the summer

Goin' shoppin'

Yes, WVU has to beefen up in the trenches and address other areas of the roster, but don't think for a second that Rodriguez will ignore the running back position. After seeing the position decimated by injury in 2025, he's going to do everything in his power to make sure that doesn't happen again. West Virginia will add another running back to the mix once the portal opens next month, and likely one that has played meaningful football.

So, what now for West Virginia?

Goin' shoppin'

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