By: Clark Johnson | WV Sports Chat
Morgantown, WV – Like it or not, collegiate athletics are now a business. With the introduction of NIL and “pay for play,” everything about college football, the sport we all know and love, has changed. Head coaches around the nation are forced to run their programs and construct their rosters with this in mind. West Virginia’s Rich Rodriguez is no exception.
During his first 13 months in Morgantown, Rodriguez has made countless cuts and adjustments to his roster. While some were due to the NCAA’s new roster limit, there have been a select few made due to injuries and underperformance. During this transfer portal window, running back Jahiem White was seemingly one of those reductions.
After sustaining a season-ending injury on September 6th, White was slated to make his return to the Gold & Blue in time for fall camp in August. However, prior to the opening of the January portal window, news surfaced that the Pennsylvania native would be taking his talents elsewhere. Fans and analysts speculated the reasoning for this decision, but it wasn’t until this week that we learned its true nature.
On Instagram Live, White discussed his reasoning for departing Morgantown. The redshirt junior was allegedly set to be demoted on West Virginia’s two-deep depth chart. Though that was to be expected given his injury history, it was White’s comments regarding Rodriguez’s practice habits that have some fans concerned.
According to White, Rodriguez’s practices were both too challenging and devoid of any entertainment. White even went as far as to blame WVU’s significant number of injuries in 2025 on the intensity that Rodriguez expects during these practice sessions.
To some, this paints a concerning picture for the Mountaineer program moving forward under Rodriguez. However, this should be an encouraging sign of things to come for WVU football.
Returning home came with hefty ambitions for Rodriguez. Since accepting the job in December of 2024, the Grant Town, West Virginia native has promised better days and competitive football to come for Mountaineer Nation. Under Neal Brown, these heights were never a realistic expectation. In order to have a significant course correction, radical changes were necessary in the foundation and culture of the program.
Rodriguez pledges to implement a “Hard Edge” mentality in all aspects of the Mountaineer Football program. Practice habits and routines are no exception to this. The only goal for WVU’s prodigal son is to return the program to the heights previously reached under his leadership from 2005 to 2007. To obtain this, each and every person in the program must be on the same page regarding expectations.
If a player does not find it in their best interest to bring extreme intensity every day, then it is likely in the best interest of both the program and the individual to part ways. In the case of Jahiem White, it appears that this short-lived marriage arrived at a similar crossroads. Significant injuries coupled with differing philosophies clearly indicated that being in Morgantown was no longer the right fit for him and his career.
With change will always come emotions and hard feelings. White’s alleged demotion on the depth chart was understandably upsetting. However, this is simply the nature of the beast we currently reside with. Though voicing his opinion was his right and he was not wrong for doing so, this entire situation is not one that Mountaineer fans should pay any mind to.
Players who want to play for WVU and for Rodriguez, will remain in Morgantown. Those who do not, will not. Rodriguez’s intense style and harsh decision making is not an indicator of a program staged for disaster, but rather one on the upswing of resurgence.
Eventually, the intensity, hard practices, and difficult decisions will pay off for the Mountaineers. When that pinnacle is eventually reached, it will reveal that Rodriguez’s method was correct all along.
In a recent show on Couz’s Corner, our very own Justin Walker gives his thoughts on White’s comments. You can find a link to that show below.
(Photo by WVU Athletics)
