Morgantown, West Virginia. As a true freshman at West Virginia, Jahiem White shown his ability to play football.
White’s role grew throughout the 2023 season, as did his production. White carried for 657 of his 842 yards in the final five regular season games, including a victory over North Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. Over the last three games, he has caught four passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns, including a 75-yard touchdown reception in a win over Cincinnati that was the Mountaineers’ longest pass play from scrimmage this season.
So, as White begins his second session of spring
So, when White begins his second session of spring football since enrolling in January 2023, the emphasis is on what he can do without the ball rather than with it.
“On first and second down back, that kid is absolutely special,” said Chad Scott, the Mountaineers’ offensive coordinator/running backs coach. “He may be exceptional on third down, but he must be a third-down back. This spring, he’ll be working on pass pro recognition.
White, a 5-foot-7, 192-pound native of York, Pa., ranked second among Division I players with at least 100 carries in 2023 with a 7.72 yards per attempt, trailing only Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jayden Daniels of LSU. He also had 125 yards in receptions, with four of his five catches coming in the final three games. Recognizing defensive looks is his next step.
“He’s pretty strong and really savvy in his ability to be able to mix up picking it up and cut-blocking,” said Scott. “He needs to grow as comfortable picking it up and recognizing it as he does carrying the football. If he can become a three-down back with the confidence to recognize the many looks and ways they attempt to deceive him on pass-pro, he’ll be on another level, because he’s extraordinary.”
White had 25 carries in West Virginia’s first seven games in 2023, including 12 rushes for 110 yards in his college debut against FCS opponent Duquesne.
But, beginning with an 85-yard rushing effort that produced his first touchdown against FBS opposition,
He’ll likely continue to play a prominent role as a sophomore, and even more so during the spring, since tailback CJ Donaldson will be limited due to an injury that necessitated surgery prior to the bowl game.
However, when White is not demonstrating his skill set on the field, Scott believes there is still much that he can learn, particularly in terms of pass protection.
“The more experience he has, he’ll get much better at it,” he remarked. “With his talent, continual film study, and when he’s not in the game at practice, more mental reps and focus, whereas previous year he might not have been as tuned in if he wasn’t in the game.
“He needs to take the next step, and when he does