CJ Donaldson is no longer a secret.
This time last year, Donaldson was considered a tight end. The sophomore from Miami, burst onto the scene week one against Pitt. On just seven carries, Donaldson totaled 125 yards and a touchdown against Pitt in the Backyard Brawl. Donaldson finished the season playing seven games, rushing for 526 yards and eight touchdowns on 87 carries.
For West Virginia head coach Neal Brown and offensive coordinator Chad Scott, Donaldson’s emergence as a true freshman was not a surprise. From starting as a tight end less than 12 months ago, to now being a focal point of West Virginia’s offense, the priority for Donaldson is to better understand the position, and to continue to stay healthy.
“Really his coming out party was his first full scrimmage in fall camp. he was running with the second and third group, going against our first defense and they couldn’t tackle him,” Brown said. “I told Chad (Scott), I think we’re onto something here.”
Brown and Scott were onto something, but the priority now is to keep Donaldson on the field. Donaldson missed games in October last year due to a concussion, and then his season was cut short due to a leg injury sustained in the TCU game on Oct. 29.
“I think the TCU game is when he got hurt and that’s the last football time he had,” Brown said. “When you think about it, he didn’t start doing any running back stuff until late June. He just needs live reps. He needs playing against a defense, feeling blocks, reading blocks, and that’s why the spring is important to him. We’re going to do our best to take care of him but he needs those reps running the football because he’s only going to continue to get better.”
Donaldson is one piece to a loaded backfield for West Virginia. Returners such as Tony Mathis, Justin Johnson, and Jaylen Anderson, point towards the Mountaineers relying heavily upon that room. However, the 240-pound back in Donaldson is the biggest threat due to his ability to make plays on the field, but to also lead off the field.
“Having him in fall camp, when you have someone that has elite ability, it lifts the others around him. He’s got to stay healthy, his practice habits got to get better, but the other guys around, they know that kids got a chance. And so what he does is he lifts those other guys up,” Brown said.
Donaldson is going to continue to practice this spring, trying to learn the running back position as a whole. Donaldson being a tight end in high school, he has experience catching passes, and now just needs to learn the intricacies of the running back position.
“I think two is with him, it’s growing his game,” Brown said. “I always have to remind myself and tell my staff, he doesn’t have all these reps logged, he hasn’t been playing. Every full speed rep he gets, he’s going to continue to get better. And now just from a memorization and knowing what to do, we can move him around and do what he’s done his whole life which is catch balls and run routes.”
Brown says the capabilities are there for Donaldson to be a star, he just has to continue to develop and turn into an all-around back.
“He just takes in information. He enjoys sports and he’s an intelligent person so he learns quickly,” Brown said. “If he’ll continue to work on his body and stay healthy, he’s got big-time ability.”
