Cover Photo by Robert Ovies, Voice of Motown
Morgantown, West Virginia – West Virginia suffered one of the most devastating losses in recent program history last night, losing to Pitt 38-31 in the Backyard Brawl.
Although the game didn’t go the Mountaineers’ way, it saw the emergence of a potential new superstar for the team.
Prior to the season, Neal Brown and his coaching staff gushed about a relatively unknown player named CJ Donaldson.
“I’ve been really pleased with CJ Donaldson,” Brown said during the offseason. “The thing that we want to do with him is kind of grow his role. Going into it, will he be in a feature role? I’m not sure, but he’ll play. I feel really confident in telling you he’s going to play, but he’s a guy that I think his role will increase as he’s had success and gained some experience.”
Donaldson, a freshman who switched from a tight end to a running back this offseason, was absolutely spectacular in his debut. In his very first game, Donaldson quickly became West Virginia’s most reliable player, getting important carries late in the 4th quarter.
Donaldson, a huge 6’2 240 back from Miami, Florida, rushed 7 times for an impressive 125 yards (17.8 yards per carry) and one touchdown, including a 44 yard run.
Redshirt sophomore Tony Mathis came into the season as the team’s undisputed number one running back with Justin Johnson as his backup. Donaldson is currently third on the depth chart, but it appears that he may just be too talented to keep off the field.
CJ Donaldson is a SUPERSTAR. #WVU pic.twitter.com/idVaOxsz2J
— The Voice of Morgantown (@voicemorgantown) September 2, 2022
