Jahiem White Leads Four Big 12 Players on Pro Football Focus’ All-Freshman Team
With the 2023 college football regular season in the books, the post-season awards and teams continue to come out. And on Monday, Pro Football Focus‘ All-Freshman team included four players from the Big 12 Conference, highlighted by West Virginia Mountaineers running back Jahiem White.
The other Big 12 players to make the team were Iowa State tight end Benjamin Brahmer, Oklahoma guard Cayden Green and Texas cornerback Malik Muhammad.
White was the offensive player that PFF chose to put in its spotlight, noting, “While CJ Donaldson Jr. received the lion’s share of carries in West Virginia’s backfield, White was the Mountaineers’ true star at running back. The former three-star recruit only had three fewer rushing yards than Donaldson even though White registered 72 fewer attempts. In fact, the true freshman averaged 8.2 yards per attempt, the most by any back in the country with at least 95 carries. It was nearly a full yard more than the next-closest back, Tennessee’s Jaylen Wright (7.4 yards per attempt).”
White became a household name in the Big 12 late in the season rushing for at least 133 yards in three of the final four games. And with CJ Donaldson set to miss the Duke’s Mayo Bowl with an injury, expect White to potentially burst onto the scene and become a player more casual fans are talking about in the offseason.
Of the other Big 12 players on the list, Oklahoma lost Cayden Green to the transfer portal last week, in a move that shocked many around Norman after his strong freshman season. Meantime, Benjamin Brahmer finished his freshman season in Ames with 26 catches for 320 yards and two touchdowns as he looks to join a long list of successful tight ends to come through Matt Campbell’s program. And Malik Muhammad finish his freshman campaign with 29 tackles and one interception playing for the Texas Longhorns who are heading to the College Football Playoff.
