West Virginia wide receiver Jaden Bray is back on the national radar, and this time it’s for what he might do next rather than what injuries have kept him from doing so far.
Bray was named to the College Football Comeback Player of the Year Pre-Season Watch List, a nod that recognizes the senior as a potential breakout in 2026. West Virginia announced his inclusion on its X account.
Bray’s resume at WVU has been limited by injuries, with just nine catches across his first two seasons in Morgantown. Even so, the buzz around him is real. He’s one of eight Big 12 players on the preseason list, alongside Arizona’s Malcolm Hartzong and Tre Smith, Colorado’s DeKalon Taylor, Texas Tech’s Jayden Cofield, Quinten Joyner, Will Hammons, and Utah’s Hunter Andrews.
A transfer from Oklahoma State in 2024, Bray arrived after three seasons with the Big 12 rival. His best college production came with the Cowboys, where he posted 30 receptions for 382 yards and two touchdowns as a sophomore before entering the portal.
What makes Bray such an interesting piece for West Virginia is the way he stretches a defense. He’s built to work downfield, and even with the quarterback situation still unsettled for 2026, head coach Rich Rodriguez said the offense should be able to lean on Bray as a big-play option whenever he’s on the field for his final season.
There’s also a unique wrinkle to his senior year: Bray will wear No. 5, the same number West Virginia is set to retire for Pat White during the season opener against Coastal Carolina on Saturday, September 5th at Milan Puskar Stadium. That night will feature the program’s “White Out,” with tens of thousands of fans expected in all white as the Mountaineers honor one of the most important quarterbacks of the era.
Bray will be the last player to wear the number in old gold and blue, and the reason is Pat White himself. Rodriguez told A.P. Steadham at Big 12 media day that White pushed to delay the retirement by a year so Bray could keep it for his senior season.
“This is how Pat is. Once we told him we were going to retire his number, he said, ‘Let’s wait one year so Jaden can wear it for his senior year,’ and that’s the kind of guy Pat is," Rodriguez said.
If Bray stays healthy, West Virginia believes it may have one of its most dangerous receiving threats ready to make the most of 2026.
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