WVU Is Retiring No. 5, But Jaden Bray Will Still Wear It in 2026

So the senior wide receiver won't be changing numbers after all.

WVU Athletics Communications

September 5th, 2026, will be a special day in the history of West Virginia football as the Mountaineers will hold a ceremony on the day of their season opener against Coastal Carolina to unofficially retire Pat White's No 5 jersey.

Unofficially? Yes. There is one more player who will get the opportunity to wear it before it officially is taken off the table as a jersey choice — senior wide receiver Jaden Bray.

Most times, once a decision like this is made, that's it. There are no exceptions. That's not always the case, though. Even Pat White himself wanted to delay the ceremony, according to head coach Rich Rodriguez, to allow Bray to finish his career without having to change his number.

“This is how Pat is. Once we told him we were going to retire his number, he said, ‘Let’s wait one year so Jaden can wear it for his senior year,’ and that’s the kind of guy Pat is," he told college football analyst A.P. Steadham.

WVU will still go through with the ceremony on September 5th, which will also be a "White Out" and will just have Bray grandfathered in, making him the last Mountaineer to ever wear the No. 5.

“This year, I get to wear the five for the last time. So, I’m going to do all I can to honor him all the past number fives," Bray told reporters at Big 12 Media Day.

“It was such a surreal moment," Bray said when he learned of the news. "We were all in the team room, and Pat McAfee was there, and they played the screen and were like ‘We’re retiring No.5,’ and I just started clapping because I was so happy for him. I’ve never told him this, but he’s just been a major part of me and my journey, just watching him and how he attacks every day.”

WVU Athletics Communications

Bray was expected to be the Mountaineers' top receiver in 2025 and one of the top targets in the passing game in 2024, but a foot injury cut his season short both years. With this being his last go-around at the college level, you can bet that he'll do everything he can to take care of his body and put up some big numbers.

Before transferring to West Virginia, Bray spent the first three years of his career at Oklahoma State, where he racked up 48 receptions for 686 yards and four touchdowns, one of which came against the Mountaineers in Morgantown in 2023.