West Virginia running back among the highest-graded players at position in Big 12

If you ask West Virginia football fans to name their top running back, you'll likely hear the name Jahiem White bandied about. White prepares to enter his junior season after rushing for 1,687 yards and 11 touchdowns during his first two seasons with the Mountaineers, and expectations are high for the former Freshman All-American inside new head coach Rich Rodriguez's offense.

But one name fans might not yet be as familiar with is Tye Edwards, who joined the program during the winter transfer window after spending his past two seasons with Northern Iowa at the FCS level. But according to the grades issued by top sports analytics company Pro Football Focus (PFF), Edwards might be worth keeping an eye on as we gear up for the 2025 season.

Edwards will enter the season with a PFF grade of 82.8, which stands as the second-highest grade amongst all running backs in the Big 12 that played collegiately last season. Baylor standout Bryson Washington is the only player at the position who graded out higher than Edwards.

Edwards' high grade from PFF, whose analytics are used by a significant number of college football and NFL teams across the country to evaluate their players, shouldn't come as much of a surprise given his high levels of production at Northern Iowa. Edwards averaged 6.4 yards per carry last season as he racked up 1,047 rushing yards and six touchdowns, earning All-Missouri Valley Football Conference honors for his performance. He also found the endzone during West Virginia's 2025 Gold-Blue Spring Showcase in April.