West Virginia transfer running back CJ Donaldson Jr. commits to Ohio State

The 6-foot-2, 238-pound Donaldson spent three seasons at West Virginia under head coach Neal Brown from 2022 through 2024. Donaldson entered the transfer portal on Dec. 19.

The Mountaineers fired Brown on Dec. 1. West Virginia then hired Rich Rodriguez on Dec. 12, who also previously served as head coach for WVU from 2001 through 2007.

He will have one year of eligibility left, with the option to still redshirt if needed, to play for head coach Ryan Day, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Chip Kelly, running backs coach Carlos Locklyn and the Buckeyes.

In 2024, Donaldson played in 13 games and recorded 163 rushing attempts for 734 yards (4.5 yards per attempt) and 11 touchdowns. He added 14 receptions for 104 yards (7.4 yards per catch) and an additional score.

According to Pro Football Focus, Donaldson played 511 offensive snaps and recorded a grade of 70.1. He also played 29 snaps on special teams.

In his three seasons with the Mountaineers, Donaldson totaled 353 rushing attempts for 1,690 yards (4.8 yards per carry) and 23 touchdowns. He also made 25 catches for 170 yards (6.8 yards per catch) and scored the aforementioned one touchdown through the air.

As a prospect out of Gulliver Prep in Florida in the class of 2022, Donaldson was rated as a three-star tight end.

Stay locked in on the Rivals Transfer Tracker to keep up with the latest transfer news, portal entries, commitments, and rankings. For a deep-dive into the transfer portal, make sure you visit the Rivals Transfer Search page.

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The winter college football transfer portal window is scheduled to open on Dec. 9, 2024 for 20 days. Additionally, players have a 30-day window to transfer when their head coach leaves. There is also a five-day window for players to transfer after their team has finished postseason play. A 10-day transfer window will open on April 16 as well.