Running back, Ohio State (from West Virginia), 2022–⁠25

C.J. Donaldson

Number
No. 12
Height
6′2″
Weight
232 lb
Class (2025)
Senior
Hometown
Miami, FL
Born
Jul 9, 2004

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C.J. Donaldson played running back at West Virginia (2022–⁠24) and Ohio State (2025).

Career highs

125rushing yards, career hightwice; last vs. UAlbany, 20243rushing touchdowns, career highvs. Towson, 20227catches, career highat Texas Tech, 2024

Rushing

Rushing yards, season by season, with his team’s record
SeasonTeamCarYdsAvgTDLong
2022West Virginia875266.0882
2023West Virginia1717984.71132
2024West Virginia1637344.51148
2025Ohio State963613.81027
Career5172,4194.74082

Receiving

SeasonTeamRecYdsAvgTDLong
2022West Virginia10171.709
2023West Virginia9596.6018
2024West Virginia141047.4115
2025Ohio State15966.4114
Career482765.8218

Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls.

On the roster

SeasonTeamNo.PosClassHtWt
2022West Virginia12RBFr.
2023West Virginia12RBSo.
2024West Virginia12RBJr.
2025Ohio State12RBSr.6′2″232

As each season’s roster listed the player (CollegeFootballData). Classes before the latest listing are counted back from it; “Yr 1” is the year on file where that count can’t place a season he played (a redshirt, transfer or 2020 year); height and weight as last listed.

Per play

SeasonTeamPlaysEPA/playPctileMedianTotalUsageAdj. rush
2022West Virginia950.2682nd (n=470)0.1424.518%0.24
2023West Virginia1740.3084th (n=450)0.1752.421%0.36
2024West Virginia1730.2270th (n=434)0.1638.319%0.25
2025Ohio State1090.2691st (n=576)0.1028.213%0.31

Expected points added: how much the player’s plays moved the team’s expected score, per play and in total. Plays: total EPA divided by EPA per play, the plays the source credits to him (for a receiver roughly his catches and runs, not every target; for a passer, not every attempt), so it can differ from attempts plus carries. Percentile: against the position’s regulars that season across all divisions on file (quarterbacks with 150+ plays, backs 60+, receivers and tight ends 30+), with how many there were (n) and their median; a dash means too few plays to rank. A season in progress uses the full-season bar scaled by games played, never below 75 plays for quarterbacks, 30 for backs and 20 for receivers. The cohort grows or shrinks with the source’s coverage each season (2025 lists far more players), so compare percentiles rather than raw EPA across years. FCS seasons are marked. Usage: the share of the team’s plays the player was part of (shown from 20 plays). Adjusted pass and rush: EPA per play adjusted for the defenses faced (CollegeFootballData’s WEPA). From CollegeFootballData, 2013 on.

Rushing detail

SeasonTeamSuccessLine yardsSecond levelOpen fieldStuffed
2025Ohio State55%3.000.700.3013%

Where his yards came from, per carry: line yards are the ones credited to the blockers (the first few, and losses), second level the yards 5 to 10 past the line, open field those beyond 10. Success: carries that kept the offense on schedule. Stuffed: carries stopped at or behind the line. From CollegeFootballData, FBS games, 2025 on.

Game by game

2025 Ohio State 13 games, 361 rushing yards, 10 TD
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Aug 30vs.TexasW 14–⁠719671819
Sep 6vs.GramblingW 70–⁠0545127––
Sep 13vs.OhioW 37–⁠9939011213
Sep 27atWashingtonW 24–⁠693911114
Oct 4vs.MinnesotaW 42–⁠33311––
Oct 11atIllinoisW 34–⁠16134421014
Oct 18atWisconsinW 34–⁠0212013326
Nov 1vs.Penn StateW 38–⁠1471715––
Nov 8atPurdueW 34–⁠1051224––
Nov 22vs.RutgersW 42–⁠93815––
Nov 29atMichiganW 27–⁠9144408––
Dec 6vs.IndianaL 10–⁠13––––29
Dec 31 ✦vs.MiamiL 14–⁠24731012531
2024 West Virginia 13 games, 734 rushing yards, 11 TD
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Aug 31vs.Penn StateL 12–⁠34124211016
Sep 7vs.UAlbanyW 49–⁠1414125148––
Sep 14atPittsburghL 34–⁠381979114110
Sep 21vs.KansasW 32–⁠28638027––
Oct 5atOklahoma StateW 38–⁠142077220––
Oct 12vs.Iowa StateL 16–⁠2891706––
Oct 19vs.Kansas StateL 18–⁠45123401010
Oct 26atArizonaW 31–⁠2684112013
Nov 9atCincinnatiW 31–⁠2441205––
Nov 16vs.BaylorL 35–⁠4996012311
Nov 23vs.UCFW 31–⁠211996231––
Nov 30atTexas TechL 15–⁠5293007773
Dec 17 ✦vs.MemphisL 37–⁠422283213211
2023 West Virginia 12 games, 798 rushing yards, 11 TD
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Sep 2atPenn StateL 15–⁠38188111713
Sep 9vs.DuquesneW 56–⁠171356014––
Sep 16vs.PittsburghW 17–⁠618102117––
Sep 23vs.Texas TechW 20–⁠131548115211
Sep 30atTCUW 24–⁠21226119––
Oct 12atHoustonL 39–⁠411766117225
Oct 21vs.Oklahoma StateL 34–⁠48133917211
Oct 28atUCFW 41–⁠281712113219
Nov 4vs.BYUW 37–⁠714102223––
Nov 11atOklahomaL 20–⁠59147911410
Nov 18vs.CincinnatiW 42–⁠21520113––
Nov 25atBaylorW 34–⁠3152307––
2022 West Virginia 7 games, 526 rushing yards, 8 TD
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Sep 1atPittsburghL 31–⁠387125144––
Sep 10vs.KansasL 42–⁠55134821030
Sep 17vs.TowsonW 65–⁠79101382––
Sep 22atVirginia TechW 33–⁠102310601836
Oct 1atTexasL 20–⁠38490314
Oct 22atTexas TechL 10–⁠48123301627
Oct 29vs.TCUL 31–⁠411910423810

Box scores from CollegeFootballData, 2004 on. ✦ postseason; ★ a career high on file.

Before the draft

DrillCombine 2026Combine or pro day 2026
Height6′1⅝″
Weight230 lb
Arm length31¾″
Hand size9½″
Wingspan79¼″
40-yard dash4.63 sW
10-yard split1.63 sW
Vertical jump36½″W
Broad jump10′0″W
Bench press14 repsW
3-cone drill7.22 sW
20-yard shuttle4.53 sW

Combine or pro day: the source doesn’t say which. Unmarked: Combine and pro day results compiled by array-carpenter (nfl-draft-data); W: Pre-draft measurables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).

In the NFL

1 season, 5 games with a stat; latest team: New Orleans Saints.

SeasonTeamGCarYdsTDRecRec yds
2026 (so far)New Orleans Saints511420410

Regular seasons, from nflverse (CC BY 4.0). G counts games in which the player recorded a stat.

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