FRISCO, Texas —For Ohio State running back CJ Donaldson, the 2026 NFL Draft will be a full-circle moment. Donaldson broke out as a college player at Acrisure Stadium, just a few feet from the stage will be during this April's draft ceremony, when he was a freshman at West Virginia.
A three-star prospect coming out of Miami 's Gulliver Preparatory School, Donaldson was expected to be a reserve tight end for his first collegiate game against the Pitt Panthers , and almost no one saw his breakout performance coming.
Donaldson blocked a punt, and then was added to the West Virginia rushing attack, carrying the ball seven times for 125 yards and touchdown, nearly singlehandedly keeping West Virginia in the Backyard Brawl against their hated rivals, Pitt.
"It was amazing," Donaldson said Steelers Now at the 2026 East-West Shrine Bowl in Frisco, Texas. "I never really got the history of the rivalry game until later on. We talked about it, chirped about it.Ultimately, when I got in that game, it just felt so unreal.I'd say my favorite moment was probably blocking that punt. I'd say even just getting on the field, that was probably my favorite moment. It was electrifying out there."
Donaldson's early success came despite a total lack of experience at the running back position.
"The O-line had to block well, which they were," Donaldson said. "The receivers had to block well down the field. The coaching staff had to trust me with the ball in my hand. I'm just thankful to have that opportunity. Not really. I never really understood the position too well. I was still fresh into it. I'm taking baby steps. I'm just going with the flow, trying to do as much as I can as I could."
Now, he'll have the change to fulfill his NFL dream if his name gets called just a few yards east of that visitor's sideline where it all got started.
"As a kid, you dream of hearing your name called in between those first seven rounds," Donaldson said. "Just having the opportunity to play the game that I love. It would be amazing, man. I'm just hopeful and thankful that I might have an opportunity."
West Virginia running back CJ Donaldson in a game against Virginia Tech at Lane Stadium on Sept. 22, 2022. — Kelsie LeRose / West Virginia Sports Now
In between that fantastic debut and his hopeful draft day, Donaldson's path took a detour from West Virginia to Ohio State, where he transferred for his senior season. He said the move up to the Buckeyes, even though it came with a reduced roll, was key in getting him ready for the NFL.
"Just learning how to find my role: Be better at short yardage, be better at pass-protecting, and then continually be better on special teams," Donaldson said. "As a 53-man roster, only 53 guys are active. If you're the second or third guy on the depth chart, you're going to play special teams, you're going to be the third down back, you're going to be the guy who's going to protect the quarterback. So just adding those essential things to my arsenal was amazing."
From breakout performer to well-rounded near-professional, Donaldson's career path is about to come full circle — and it could potentially continue in Pittsburgh, with the Steelers expected to be in the market for at least one running back this offseason.
Measured at the East-West Shrine Bowl:6-foot-1 1/2, 234 pounds, 9 1/2-inch hands, 32-inch arms, 77 5/8-inch wingspan
In his college debut with West Virginia, C.J. Donaldson burst onto the scene at Acrisure Stadium, rushing for 125 yards and a touchdown against Pitt. That performance immediately put him on the map, and he went on to become a steady contributor in the Mountaineers' backfield over the next three seasons. By the time his WVU career wrapped up, Donaldson had accumulated more than 2,000 rushing yards and totaled 30 rushing touchdowns, ranking fifth all-time in program history .
| Year |
School |
GP |
Att |
Yds |
Y/A |
TD |
Rec |
Yds |
TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 |
OSU |
13 |
96 |
361 |
3.8 |
10 |
15 |
96 |
1 |
| 2024 |
WVU |
13 |
163 |
734 |
4.5 |
11 |
14 |
104 |
1 |
| 2023 |
WVU |
12 |
171 |
798 |
4.7 |
11 |
9 |
59 |
0 |
| 2022 |
WVU |
7 |
87 |
526 |
6.0 |
8 |
9 |
27 |
0 |
In 2025, like many young college football talents, Donaldson bet on himself and entered the transfer portal. He eventually found his way to Columbus, joining the defending national champion Ohio State Buckeyes for his senior season. While he didn't blaze any new trails statistically, Donaldson carved out a solid role as a short-yardage and goal-line back, scoring 10 touchdowns and bringing his career total to 40.
By Joe Fitzgerald
CJ Donaldson was in a time share at Ohio State, causing his production to dip. He also averaged just 3.8 yards a carry with 10 touchdowns in 2025. However, in the two years prior at West Virginia he posted back-to-back seasons with 700 rushing yards, averaging 4.6 yards per carry.
He knows he's not a burner, and runs like it, too. Donaldson would rather run through a defender than try than make them miss. That's what his skillset limits him to do as well. The 234-pound back does not possess the speed or agility to make NFL defenders miss on a consistent basis. Therefore, he will make one cut and try to get as many yards as possible.
Arm tacklers will not bring him down because of thick lower half.
Donaldson has limited receiving reps, but catches the ball when given the opportunity. He has the body for pass pro, but will need work because of limited in-game reps.
By Adam Echols
As of Feb. 10, Donaldson is No. 277 on the NFL Mock Draft Database consensus big board, which projects him to be an undrafted free agent. He has recently been ranked as high as No. 215, which is at the end of the sixth round.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : NFL Draft in Pittsburgh a Full-Circle Moment for CJ Donaldson
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