1,800-yard Big 12 RB immediately becomes one of CFB’s best portal players

Big 12 running back with 1,800 career yards portal | Ben Queen-Imagn Images

Now that the 2205 college football regular season has concluded, players around the country are beginning to announce their intention to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal so they can change schools. Several notable names have already pledged to find a new home for 2026, but on Monday, a major playmaker out of the Big 12 became the latest to hit the market.

According to college football insider Pete Nakos of On3, West Virginia running back Jahiem White plans to enter the transfer portal and evaluate new landing spots for his 2026 season. White put up huge numbers in previous seasons with West Virginia but was limited to just two games in 2025 thanks to a knee surgery that ended his season early.

Prior to the injury and ensuing procedure, White racked up 133 rushing yards on 24 carries with three touchdowns as the lead WVU running back. White earned that role after tremendous freshman and sophomore campaigns that netted over 1,600 rushing yards. In 2023, a freshman White led the Big 12 in yards per carry at 7.7, which is remarkable considering he carried the ball 109 times for 842 total yards. Such efficiency at that high a volume is incredibly rare.

NEW: West Virginia star running back Jahiem White is entering the transfer portal, his rep @Ethos_SG tells @PeteNakos.

He's rushed for 1,820 career yards and 14 TDs in his career.https://t.co/kSYG7dZ8sR pic.twitter.com/SRe4ueGY6c

— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) December 8, 2025

Predictably, White came back down to Earth after his lightning-rod first season. But as a sophomore, Jahiem White still topped his rookie total, tallying 844 yards on the ground but with 148 carries this time, good for 5.7 yards per carry, a robust number but not the league-leading figure from the season prior.

Overall, White has 1,819 career rushing yards and 30 career touchdowns. He easily would have surpassed the 3,000 yards club if he was healthy for just a few more games this fall, which is a rare feat for a true junior. In any case, White will receive an injury redshirt for this season and will start anew next season as a redshirt junior with two more years of eligibility left.

The surgery recovery is a factor, but all indications are that Jahiem White should be one of the top portal running backs to hit the market. He's got multiple years of eligibility left yet already has two years as a full-time Big 12 starter on his resume — plus high, high level efficiency. This was one of the best backs in America entering 2025.

A smooth recovery and a new, perhaps high-profile home, could set Jahiem White up to be one of next season's most impactful transfer additions — a la Ahmad Hardy at Missouri, if you've gotten a chance to watch him.