In Rich Rod's Offense, Jahiem White Could Be One of the Best RBs in WVU History

Big things are coming for the junior Mountaineer running back.

West Virginia University running back Jahiem White / Christopher Hall - West Virginia on SI

When Wren Baker made the decision to move on from Neal Brown as the head football coach atWest Virginia, my immediate thought from a roster standpoint was, can the new staff find a way to hold onto running back Jahiem White?

I'm sure a large portion of the fan base shared that same thought, knowing how critical of a piece he would be for the offense moving forward. In this day and age of the transfer portal, players can be replaced at the drop of a hat, but you never want to lose players with special talents and White's ability to gain chunk yardage on the ground is not necessarily an easy thing to find or replace.

The moment Rich Rodriguez was officially named the next head coach, I thought, oh boy...if White stays, he's going to put up numbers that haven't been seen around here for a running back in quite some time.

West Virginia University running back Jahiem White. / Christopher Hall - West Virginia on SI

There may have been some uncertainty regarding his future in Morgantown earlier this offseason, but after meeting the new staff and finding out that running backs coach Chad Scott would be retained, it was an easy decision for him to stay put.

Mountaineer fans were only able to enjoy one year of Noel Devine in Rodriguez's offense before he left for Michigan, and although he still went on to have a tremendous career, it makes you wonder how many more yards and touchdowns he would have produced had Rich Rod stayed.

While the two aren't exact copies of one another, it's easy to see why Jahiem White is often compared to Devine. They're both in that 5'8", 180-190 pound range, but run angry and are more physical than you would expect for a back their size.

November 13, 2010; Morgantown,WV, USA: West Virginia Mountaineers running back Noel Devine (7) carries the ball in the 2nd quarter against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USPRESSWIRE / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The quick burst White has is strikingly similar to that of Devine and is a major part of what makes him so special. Every time he touches the ball, you think there's a chance something big is about to happen. Putting him in an offense designed for running backs to feast and be the centerpiece of the unit is a match made in Mountaineer heaven.

Entering the 2025 season, White sits 30th on the all-time rushing list at WVU with 1,686 yards. If he reaches the 1,000-yard mark, which I think at this point should just be assumed as long as he's healthy, he'll soar up to 7th on that list with his senior year remaining. Producing another 1,000 yards as a senior in 2026 would bump him past Leddie Brown for sixth.

WVU all-time leading rushers

1. Avon Cobourne - 5,164

2. Pat White - 4,480

3. Noel Devine - 4,315

4. Amos Zereoue - 4,086

5. Steve Slaton - 3,923

6. Leddie Brown - 2,888

7. Artie Owens - 2,648

8. Robert Walker - 2,620

9. Quincy Wilson - 2,608

10. Robert Alexander - 2,474

How high can White climb?

West Virginia University running back Jahiem White. / Christopher Hall - West Virginia on SI

2,237 yards would be what he needs to catch Steve Slaton, making him the fifth on the list. 2,400 to catch Amos Zereoue and 2,629 to climb up to third, unseating Noel Devine. Pat White's 4,480 yards and Avon Cobourne's 5,164 feel out of reach, but hey, you never know how crazy he'll go in these final two years.

Again, assuming he stays healthy, I don't see why he can't climb into the top five, and doing so would put him in elite company, essentially guaranteeing him a spot in the WVU Sports Hall of Fame.

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