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Three WVU running backs reveal Chad Scott's developmental ability

Joe Cookby:Joe Cook•02/20/25•

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Chad Scott
Chad Scott (Ben Queen-Imagn Images)

West Virginia running backs coach Chad Scott is now Texas running backs coach Chad Scott after Steve Sarkisian tabbed the former North Carolina rusher to coach players like Quintrevion Wisner, CJ Baxter, Jerrick Gibson, and Christian Clark. His task will be to get the most out of those players in the coming years and help Sarkisian create a more effective run game akin to the one seen in 2022 and 2023.

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Looking at how Scott developed running backs at West Virginia functions as an indicator behind why Sarkisian chose to make the hire. And in the last few seasons, the Mountaineers boasted several quality backs, including two rushers that were key parts of the highwater mark of the Neal Brown era in the 9-3 2023 season.

For reference, Brown believed in many of the same offensive principles as his predecessor Dana Holgorsen. Brown utilized Air Raid passing schemes but did so as part of an offense led by a rushing attack.

The leading figures of those rushing attacks in recent years were Leddie Brown, CJ Donaldson, and Jahiem White.

Brown was a three-star back from Philadelphia who arrived in Morgantown as part of the class of 2018, a year prior to Scott’s arrival. He split carries for two seasons before becoming the lead back for the Mountaineers in 2020.

Brown reached the 1000-yard threshold in only 10 games in 2020, rushing 199 times for 1010 yards and nine touchdowns on a 6-4 WVU team that won its bowl game. He followed that up in 2021 with 223 carries for 1065 yards and 13 touchdowns. Against the Longhorns in 2021, he had 33 carries for 158 yards and one score in a 31-23 win for WVU. Brown was invited to the combine and signed with the Chargers as an undrafted free agent after his senior year but has since bounced around the XFL.

Donaldson may be Scott’s best developmental tale, even though he’s now on the Ohio State roster. Donaldson came to West Virginia as a three-star tight end just inside the top 1000 from Miami (Fla.) Gulliver Prep. He arrived in Morgantown as a tight end but made the move to running back ahead of the 2022 season, a move that has turned his career into one that has him eyeing the NFL after the upcoming season.

As a freshman at a new position, Donaldson rushed 87 times for 526 yards with eight scores, only catching the ball nine times during the 2022 season. He logged 100-yard games versus Pitt, Towson, Virginia Tech, and TCU, finishing second on the team in rushing.

RB1 duties became his in 2023. He rushed 171 times for 798 yards and 11 scores, sharing the rushing workload not only with White but also with quarterback Garrett Greene. Donaldson rushed for at least 50 yards in eight games and had three 100-yard games during WVU’s 9-4 season. In 2024, he had 163 carries for 734 yards and 11 touchdowns, again sharing carries with Greene and White. He had multi-score games versus Pitt, Oklahoma State, Central Florida, and Memphis, and served as the thunder to White’s lightning. Donaldson entered the transfer portal following the season and will face the Longhorns as part of the Ohio State Buckeyes

White, another three-star from York (Pa.) William Penn, posted gaudy numbers during his freshman season at WVU. He rushed 109 times for a team high 842 yards, good for an impressive 7.7 yards per carry. He followed that up with 148 carries for 844 yards and seven scores in 2024. White has seven career 100-yard games and one 200-yard game during his time in Morgantown.

Scott has coached other running backs as part of a six-year run in Morgantown and over a decade overall with Brown, but his best evidence of coaching ability comes from his work with the three main Mountaineer backs of the last several seasons.

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