CJ Donaldson is a running back and 2026 NFL Draft prospect who finished his collegiate career with the Ohio State Buckeyes after spending three seasons with the West Virginia Mountaineers. A native of Miami, Florida, Donaldson was a three-star recruit in the 2022 class who originally committed to Tulane before signing with West Virginia, where he was recruited to play tight end before coaches moved him to running back prior to his freshman season. He became the Mountaineers' lead back immediately, rushing for 526 yards and seven touchdowns on 88 carries as a true freshman in 2022 while earning Big 12 Newcomer of the Week recognition in his collegiate debut. He followed that with 798 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns in 2023 and 734 yards and 11 more scores in 2024, earning Honorable Mention All-Big 12 recognition and finishing his WVU career with 2,058 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns, ranking seventh all-time in Mountaineers program history in touchdown runs. He transferred to Ohio State for his final season and contributed primarily as a short-yardage and goal-line specialist in 2025, recording 361 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on 156 carries while helping the Buckeyes compete in the College Football Playoff. He was invited to the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, where he checked in at 6-foot-2 and 230 pounds.
Standing 6-foot-2 and 230 pounds, Donaldson is known for a powerful, downhill running style that allows him to generate yards after contact through and over defenders at the line of scrimmage, strong vision and decisiveness behind the line that earned him eight career 100-yard games across four seasons of college football, the receiving versatility inherited from his original recruitment as a tight end prospect that gives him the athletic tools to be a legitimate third-down contributor at the next level, and the experience of carrying the ball in a major Power Five offense and scoring double-digit touchdowns in three consecutive collegiate seasons. NFL evaluators project him as a short-yardage power back and goal-line specialist with developmental receiving upside, suited for a role as a complementary piece in a committee backfield that can be relied upon in high-leverage situations close to the end zone.
