Donaldson, Gallagher could be key to WVU turnaround
West Virginia鈥檚 CJ Donaldson runs the ball against TCU during a game last season.
Laurel Highlands quarterback Rodney Gallagher breaks free for a long run against Central Valley during a WPIAL Class AAAA playoff game last season. Gallagher is expected to play slot receiver for West Virginia during his upcoming freshman season. (Photo by Rob Burchianti)
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. 鈥� College football, with the transfer portal and NIL money, has transformed itself into a game of the here and now, future planning being as difficult as it is today.
But there was an interesting, perhaps even promising, aspect to Saturday鈥檚 practice in that the future of the program emerged before the eyes of teammates and coaches, both those who coach the Mountaineers and a healthy gathering of coaches attending Neal Brown鈥檚 annual spring clinic.
Perhaps before anyone thought he would be, running back CJ Donaldson was taking part in the drills and the scrimmage, not with to-the-ground tackling, but with enough contact to trumpet out to the world that the leg he broke to end his season in last year鈥檚 TCU game was healed and he was ready to move forward.
And, at the same time, having driven down from Uniontown, where his basketball career at Laurel Highlands High had ended, the Mountaineers top incoming freshman, Rodney Gallagher, who is being counted upon to help out of the slot, was in attendance, though not yet enrolled or a participant in the drills.
If West Virginia is to turn its fortunes around this season, these two young men will surely be in the center of it all.
All eyes clearly were focused on Donaldson, who was nothing short of a rookie sensation a year ago until his injury, doing far more than WVU鈥檚 ever imagined.
To the public, his coming out party was in the Backyard Brawl against Pitt, when he picked up 44 yards on his first collegiate carry and left stunned tacklers in his wake all day as he gained 125 yards and scored a touchdown.
But to the team, his coming out party was much earlier.
鈥淲e expected him to play, but I expected him to play more out of the slot when we recruited him,鈥� Brown said, knowing he originally had him in the tight ends room. 鈥淚 knew physically he would be ready to play. He just ended up playing a different position.鈥�
That was running back.
鈥淗is coming out party was the first full scrimmage of the fall camp,鈥� Brown said. 鈥淗e was running with the second and third teams going against our first defense and they couldn鈥檛 tackle him. I got to thinking, 鈥榃e鈥檙e on to something here.'鈥�
Then along came Pitt.
鈥淗is breakout game was definitely the Backyard Brawl against Pitt,鈥� Brown said.
Donaldson showed himself to be a unique talent.
鈥淗e鈥檚 got big-time ability. He鈥檚 an extremely smart football player and showed that today. He had a couple of really explosive runs and showed good patience,鈥� Brown said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a load to tackle.鈥�
He鈥檚 also an excellent pass receiver. In fact, the coaches have had to approach dealing with him in reverse of the normal running back.
鈥淲ith him, he鈥檚 growing his game. I always have to remind myself when I talk to the staff that he doesn鈥檛 have all these reps (at running back), so every full-speed rep he gets he鈥檚 going to continue to get better,鈥� Brown said.
鈥淣ow, just from memorization and knowing what to do, we can move him around and do what he鈥檚 done his whole life, which is catch balls and run routes. It鈥檚 the reverse with him and normal running backs. Usually, they get all these reps on inside runs and outside runs but you have to teach them catch balls. It鈥檚 the exact opposite for him.鈥�
But Donaldson鈥檚 intelligence and exuberance makes dealing with him easy.
鈥淔irst thing he has is general intelligence. He understands sports. I never asked him this but I鈥檇 be willing to bet he played a lot of different things growing up. They were well coached at Gulliver and moved him around,鈥� Brown said.
鈥淗e鈥檚 got a natural feel for understanding things like spacing elements in the passing game. If you are first or second or third option, there鈥檚 timing aspect and spacing aspect. He just takes in information. It goes back to he鈥檚 an intelligent person, understands sports and learns quickly.鈥�
His season was shortened to seven games last year, but he gained 526 yards, averaging 6 yards a carry, and scored eight rushing touchdowns while also catching nine passes, a number that鈥檚 expected to rise dramatically this season.
And then there鈥檚 Gallagher, who will probably operate out of the slot as he learns the system.
鈥淗e鈥檚 going to have opportunities,鈥� Brown said of Gallagher. 鈥淗e鈥檚 got to gain some weight and get stronger, but in fall camp he鈥檒l have opportunities in the camp to help us. We got plenty of time for him to learn what to do, so I鈥檓 not worried about that.鈥�