photo by: Benjamin Powell

WVU running back Jaheim White rushes during the Mountaineers’ game against Robert Morris on Aug. 30.

It was around 60-70 degrees on Tuesday ahead of West Virginia’s weekly press conferences. When you get into the team room, the temperature drops. The first two players, Hammond Russell and Darrian Lewis, had hoodies on, and so did defensive coordinator Zac Alley, but running back Jahiem White came out in a muscle shirt, with his arms on display on the press desk.

White’s up in weight, sitting comfortably around 195 pounds, which would seem light for a back, but he’s a smaller, more agile size at 5-foot-7.

“Before the season, I was like fighting my weight between like 192 to 195, but now I sustained it,” White said. “I’m kind of used to it, kind of this way, moving.”

White made sure this offseason to keep on top of his diet, hydrate and recover because after watching film of Rich Rodriguez’s offense, he saw how much Rodriguez asks of his backs. Last year, Jacksonville State’s running back Tre Stewart rushed for 1,638 yards, which was fifth in the NCAA, behind high NFL Draft picks, Ashton Jeanty, Cam Skattebo and Omarion Hampton.

“I knew this before Coach Rich came,” White said. “When I heard that he was coming to West Virginia, I was already put on to, like, him running the ball every play.”

There are two different types of shape. There’s football game shape, and then there’s a running back in Rodriguez’s high-tempo offense shape. Against Robert Morris, every touchdown drive was around 3.5 minutes or faster. Some of those drives were eight to 10 plays, too.

White said a challenge was getting into tempo shape while maintaining his weight for a bigger workload.

“I had to get back in shape and not being used to how Rich Rod runs this offense or whatnot,” White said. “But, I got into shape.”

Rodriguez brought in reinforcements to help get his backs into top shape. One of the big hires this offseason came in the late spring. Running backs coach Chad Scott left for Texas, so Rodriguez pivoted and hired top running back coach Larry Porter. Porter produced Hampton at North Carolina last year.

Porter said in the summer, he hopes to take White and the rest of the backs to that next level.

“I didn’t really know too much about coach Larry Porter, but he’s a great coach,” White said. “I love that he came. Me and him, we actually bonded a little faster than usual. I’m just waiting to see what he can bring to the table and coach me and help me with my ability and skills.”

Porter had his work cut out for him over the summer. WVU had a running back shortage, where at one point, some of the slot receivers were in the backfield. Rodriguez added a couple off the “waiver wire,” as he called it, and now the room is heavily populated.

Along with White, Clay Ash, Cyncir Bowers and Tyler Jacklich all got touches. Rodriguez said he would’ve liked to get in more backs, but it was too close for comfort most of the game.

“We got a lot of potential,” White said. “Starting with clay. He’s a hard-working dog. Diore, Cycnir, and we all just work together, watch film together, do all that stuff together.”

White, like expected, was the bell cow back against Robert Morris. He rushed 18 times, three off his season high, and he didn’t play much of the fourth quarter. White will definitely break his career high at some point this season. On those 18 attempts, he gained 93 yards and punched it in twice.

White said he left some big runs out on the field, too, so he’s definitely poised for a career-high season.

“I’ll say, I wish I had got the one run to the left side, to the open field, just that one tackler that brought me down,” White said. “I didn’t like that, but room to work.”