// Workers AI · dad joke modeIs CJ Donaldson a good football player? He's a donald in the end zone.
| No. 43 – New Orleans Saints | |
|---|---|
| Position | Running back |
| Roster status | Active |
| Personal information | |
| Born | July 9, 2004 |
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Listed weight | 230 lb (104 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Gulliver Prep (Coral Gables, Florida) |
| College | West Virginia (2022–2024) Ohio State (2025) |
| NFL draft | 2026: undrafted |
| Career history | |
| |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
De'Carlo "CJ" Donaldson Jr. (born July 9, 2004)[1] is an American professional football running back for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the West Virginia Mountaineers and the Ohio State Buckeyes. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Saints in the NFL Draft of 2026.
Early life
[edit]Donaldson grew up in Miami, Florida and attended Gulliver Preparatory School, where he played wide receiver on the football team. As a senior, he caught 81 passes for 1,164 yards and 13 touchdowns.[2] Donaldson was rated a three-star recruit and initially committed to play college football Tulane.[3] He later de-committed and signed to play at West Virginia over offers from Florida, Florida State, Miami, South Carolina, Louisville, Indiana, and Syracuse.[4]
College career
[edit]West Virginia
[edit]Donaldson was recruited by West Virginia to play tight end.[5] He was moved to running back during preseason training camp.[6] Donaldson was named the Mountaineers' starting running back going into his freshman season.[7] He was named the Big 12 Conference Newcomer of the Week for week 1 after rushing for 125 yards and one touchdown on seven carries and also blocking a kick on special teams in a 38–31 loss to Pittsburgh.[8]
On December 19, 2024, Donaldson announced that he would enter the transfer portal.[9]
Ohio State
[edit]On December 23, 2024, Donaldson committed to the Ohio State Buckeyes.[10]
Professional career
[edit]| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | Wingspan | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 1+5⁄8 in (1.87 m) | 230 lb (104 kg) | 31+3⁄4 in (0.81 m) | 9+1⁄2 in (0.24 m) | 6 ft 7+1⁄4 in (2.01 m) | 4.63 s | 1.63 s | 2.69 s | 4.53 s | 7.22 s | 36.5 in (0.93 m) | 10 ft 0 in (3.05 m) | 14 reps |
| All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day[11][12] | ||||||||||||
After going undrafted in the 2026 NFL draft, Donaldson signed with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent.[13]
References
[edit]- ↑ "CJ Donaldson, RB Marshall University". dynastyleaguefootball.com. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
- ↑ Landon, Chuck (August 12, 2022). "Chuck Landon: WVU's Donaldson intriguing". The Herald-Dispatch. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
- ↑ Santucci, Jon (September 18, 2021). "Tulane commits Carson Haggard and De'Carlo Donaldson combine for 4 TDs vs. Benjamin". Palm Beach Post. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
- ↑ Cummings, Keenan (December 15, 2021). "Athlete Donaldson picks West Virginia Mountaineers football". Rivals.com. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
- ↑ Wasserman, Ari (September 22, 2022). "How did CJ Donaldson, a 3-star TE recruit, emerge as WVU's starting RB … as a freshman?". The Athletic. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
- ↑ Manning, Sean (August 6, 2022). "True freshman CJ Donaldson makes move to running back in WVU backfield". The Dominion Post. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
- ↑ Guskey, Jordan. "West Virginia's CJ Donaldson might've surprised Pittsburgh, but shouldn't surprise Kansas". The Topeka Capital-Journal. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
- ↑ Hall, Christopher (September 5, 2022). "Donaldson Earns Big 12 Newcomer of the Week". SI.com. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
- ↑ Callihan, Schuyler (December 19, 2024). "WVU RB CJ Donaldson Set to Enter the Transfer Portal". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 1, 2025.
- ↑ Grubbs, Grant (December 23, 2024). "West Virginia transfer RB CJ Donaldson commits to Ohio State". On3.com. Retrieved January 1, 2025.
- ↑ "CJ Donaldson Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved March 18, 2026.
- ↑ "CJ Donaldson College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved March 18, 2026.
- ↑ "New Orleans Saints agree to terms with 10 undrafted free agents". NewOrleansSaints.com. April 26, 2026. Retrieved April 27, 2026.