Jahiem White isn’t just leading college football in rushing right now, he is doing it as a 5-foot-7 senior running back for the North Texas Mean Green, a player who only snagged three official offers as a high school recruit. Talk about a comeback story: White missed the last nine games of the 2026 season at West Virginia due to a knee injury, the result of a horse-collar tackle and facemask pull that saw him carted off the field. Now, in his first season with North Texas, he is absolutely electrifying the league.
From the Sidelines to the Top of the Nation
After months of intensive rehab in California, White followed his former West Virginia head coach, Neal Brown, to UNT. And wow, has it paid off. White was already a big-play threat for the Mountaineers for three seasons before that brutal knee injury, but his return has been nothing short of spectacular. He declared during his rehab on social media, “The comeback will be way greater than the setback,” and he wasn’t kidding. Coach Brown backed him up back in September, saying he was “super impressed” with White’s “no mental hurdle” in recovery, crediting his “mental makeup, his mental toughness and his courage.” Those words are ringing true. Through eight games this season, White has piled up an insane 1,054 rushing yards, added 277 receiving yards, and hit the end zone for a total of 15 touchdowns. This guy isn’t just back; he is better than ever.
Why Scouts Are Showing Up in Denton
White’s game is built on pure speed, the ability to stop and start on a dime, and elite vision and elusiveness. These traits are exactly why NFL scouts are now flocking to Denton, despite his “diminutive” 5-foot-7, 190-pound frame. Evaluators are already eyeing him as a potential Day 3 selection in the 2027 NFL Draft. The easiest comparison floating around is Darren Sproles, a dynamic playmaker from Kansas State who led college football in rushing way back in 2003 and went on to play 14 seasons in the NFL. Pro Football Network has White ranked as the No. 3 highest-graded running back this season, with a stellar 92.3.
His standout play has fueled North Texas’s No. 1 offense in the country, which is averaging over 540 total yards per game. The Mean Green are sitting pretty at 6-2 overall, with an undefeated record in the American Conference so far. Coach Brown knows what he has, stating, “I think his best is yet to come. I think he can be as good as any player at this level.” He also added, “He’s an elite player, but he’s got to be elite all the time.”
The Mean Green still have regular season matchups against Rice, UTSA, Tulane, and UAB. White is already eyeing UNT’s single-season rushing record of 1,801 yards, currently held by former UNT star Jamario Thomas. With a conference title and a College Football Playoff shot in their sights, White’s electric play is the engine driving North Texas, and frankly, the college football world better get ready.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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