West Virginia already received some significant news with quarterback Nicco Marchiol set to return in 2025 but now some of his key weapons will be joining him next season.
Both running back Jahiem White and wide receiver Rodney Gallagher announced their intentions to return to Morgantown next year which gives head coach Rich Rodriguez and his coaching staff a solid base to build around when it comes to the offensive side of the ball.
Over two seasons White has rushed for 1,687 yards and 11 touchdowns while averaging 6.5 per carry. He has hit over 840-yards on the ground in each of his two seasons and demonstrated an explosive element in the backfield that the offense had been missing in many respects.
White also demonstrated ability as a pass catcher when targeted with 24 grabs for 247 yards and 3 touchdowns over the past two seasons.
White is a natural fit for what Rodriguez has done with his running backs and immediately becomes one of the most key pieces on the entire offense given what he has done in Morgantown combined with how much more could be unlocked in the spread run-based scheme that the program will use.
Gallagher is a former four-star prospect that made significant strides in his second season on the field. After spending the majority of his first year learning how to play the wide receiver position due to being a quarterback in high school, Gallagher saw his numbers increase across the board.
During his sophomore campaign, Gallagher hauled in 26 passes for 288 yards and 3 touchdowns while rushing 16 times for 51 yards. He had managed just 10 catches for 74 yards as a freshman.
Like White, Gallagher will benefit from the move to Rodriguez’s scheme where the coaching staff will be better able to utilize what he can do as a wide receiver as he continues to blossom there. Rodriguez has had a lot of success with pass catchers of a similar frame and skill set at previous stops.
There’s still going to be more work needed to round out the roster at both of these spots, but getting back a pair of talented pieces is going to help with the transition overall on offense.
Both of these guys have experience at the college level and talent. That combination should make what they can do in Rodriguez’s offense with Marchiol potentially at the helm an exciting one.
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