Last season was a homecoming for former West Virginia great Pat White, as one of the program's greatest all-time quarterbacks returned to Morgantown in an assistant coaching role, joining the staff of his former head coach Rich Rodriguez for his second stint in Morgantown.
But this coming year will likely be even more special for White, as the Mountaineers will finally bestow the ultimate honor upon White 18 years after his collegiate career came to an end, and retire White's No. 5 jersey this coming season. The exact game the jersey retirement will take place at has yet to be announced.
West Virginia announced that they will retire former QB Pat White's No. 5 this fall.
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) June 5, 2026
White set Big East records with 103 total touchdowns and 10,529 total yards of offense while becoming the first college QB to start and win four consecutive bowl games 🔥 pic.twitter.com/x5Zt2cdw3g
Why Pat White deserves to have his jersey retired – and how it almost didn't happen
White has recently been named among the top college football quarterbacks of the past 25 years, and for good reason. He was an absolute force to be reckoned with at West Virginia, finishing his career ranked as the all-time rushing quarterback in NCAA history with 4,480 yards. He was eventually surpassed for the number one spot, but still ranks second all-time.
During his tenure, White led the Mountaineers to a record of 35-8 as the starter behind center. He recorded a perfect 4-0 record in bowl games (2-0 in BCS games), and set the Big East records for most touchdowns responsible for with 103, and for total offense with 10,529 yards.
But despite that resume, he has technically been ineligible to have his number retired by the Mountaineers – that's because he was never a consensus All-American, which has always been the requirement within the program to be honored with a jersey retirement. Athletic Director Wren Baker helped "review and revise" the requirements for the honor to maintain "strict" criteria but to allow "modern provisions" for these types of exceptions.
For those unaware, WVU had to bend their rules to retire Pat White's number. Up until this decision, the WVU football program required a former player to have been named a consensus All-American to be considered for a number retirement, not just All-American but consensus. That…
— Mike J. Asti (@MikeAsti11) June 5, 2026
When the announcement was made, their was an enthusiastic reaction across the internet for the move, with NFL legend Chad Johnson calling White a "legend."
But perhaps ESPN's Sam Block summarized why White deserves the honor in the most succint fashion, making the point that it's hard to argue with – White is both a West Virginia and college football legend, and it is "about time" his number is retired. We'd have to agree – and kudos to Wren Baker and the Mountaineers for making it happen.
Pat White is a West Virginia legend.
— Sam Block (@theblockspot) June 5, 2026
Pat White is a Mountaineers legend.
Pat White is a College Football legend.
It’s about time that number 5 is retired!
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