Photo by: Raquel Rodriguez/Mountaineer Football
Bray Ready for a Special Year While Wearing a Special Number
July 08, 2026 12:21 PM | Football
FRISCO, Texas – Jaden Bray is fully aware of the responsibility that he is now shouldering this year wearing Pat White's famous West Virginia No. 5, which will be retired after the season.
The official retirement ceremony will take place during the season opener against Coastal Carolina on Saturday, Sept. 5. Appropriately, the game has been designated a "White Out."
"I am very grateful and honored to be able to do that," Bray said earlier today during Big 12 Media Days at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. "I'm just going to do the best I can to wear this number for Pat White and all of the past number fives."
Bray admits it was a surreal moment for him when he learned with his teammates of White's jersey retirement. White was present, as were Pat McAfee and WVU director of athletics Wren Baker, to inform everyone.
White, of course, is now a member of Rich Rodriguez's coaching staff as an assistant quarterbacks coach.
While listening to White address the team, Bray realized that he was going to be the last player to wear his number - something White said he wanted.
The senior admits that was a huge confidence booster for him.
"Before he even made his speech or anything, the first thing he said was, 'I want Bray to wear it. Can you all please let Bray finish out wearing No. 5?' That was one of my biggest moments, and it meant the world to me," he said. "I'm going to do all I can to make sure to wear this number the right way."
White's No. 5 will join a list of six other retired uniform numbers representing the most iconic players in Mountaineer football history. The others are Major Harris' No. 9, Ira Eerrett Rodgers' No. 21, Chuck Howley's No. 66, Sam Huff's No. 75, Bruce Bosley's No. 77 and Darryl Talley's No. 90.
Bray says he has seen a lot of White's highlight clips on YouTube from when White was a Mountaineer player.
"He was something serious, now – super serious. It's crazy how good he was," he said.
Today, Bray is well aware of what Pat White means to the people of West Virginia anytime he sees White interact with fans out in the public. There are always immediate recognition, respect and appreciation for the greatest winner in West Virginia University history.
No player will ever top the four bowl games White won as the Mountaineers' starting quarterback, including the 2006 Nokia Sugar and the 2008 Tostitos Fiesta Bowls – considered two of the greatest victories in school history.
"You can see, anytime we step out of the facility people come up to him like he's still playing and want autographs and stuff," Bray said. "That's something you dream of as a player, and it's just so cool to see what he's done and how much of an impact he's had on the whole state.
"I never told him this, but he's just been a major part of me during my journey, just watching him and just how like he attacks every day and how humble he is," Bray added.
The reminders of White's greatness are everywhere, from pictures of him as a player on the walls of the football complex to Mountaineer football staffers Rasheed Marshall and Noel Devine talking to the players about his toughness and desire to win.
Those two things were always equal to his enormous talent.
"Rasheed talks about how big Pat was on his career. All the past players on the staff now only talk about him with the highest regard on how he was as a player," Bray said.
"He was gritty when you get down to it," he added, alluding to White's famous peel-back block against Connecticut that has become a popular video clip for Mountaineer players to watch. Having your 185-pound, franchise quarterback do something like that in a game demonstrates the "hard edge" that Rodriguez is trying to reestablish within the football program. "You wouldn't want your quarterback to do that sometimes, but he was going to go do it. I know that's the kind of guy I would want to go play with."
Bray, now a redshirt senior making his second media day trip representing WVU, says he is ready to finally showcase his talents to college football fans eager to see him play a full season at West Virginia.
Injuries and misfortune have been his two biggest obstacles since transferring from Oklahoma State three years ago.
"I'm going to try and not put too much pressure on myself or anything like that, but this year is definitely going to be something special," he predicted. "I'm not really thinking anymore. I know the playbook. I'm super comfortable with the coaching staff, and they have all the confidence in me to go out there and play, so that takes a lot of pressure off me when you know you've got a staff that believes in you."
Bray says he appreciates playing for an established veteran coach like Rich Rodriguez, who is very similar to his former Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy in that regard.
"You can tell they've been around a lot of ball, and they know when players are BS'ing them," Bray laughed. "You can just tell that they are really smart guys."
As for 2026, Bray's main goal is simple – to be out on the field dressed and healthy for the regular season finale at Utah on Friday, Nov. 27.
"I'm healthy and I'm just trying to get out there and play," he concluded.
The official retirement ceremony will take place during the season opener against Coastal Carolina on Saturday, Sept. 5. Appropriately, the game has been designated a "White Out."
"I am very grateful and honored to be able to do that," Bray said earlier today during Big 12 Media Days at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. "I'm just going to do the best I can to wear this number for Pat White and all of the past number fives."
Bray admits it was a surreal moment for him when he learned with his teammates of White's jersey retirement. White was present, as were Pat McAfee and WVU director of athletics Wren Baker, to inform everyone.
White, of course, is now a member of Rich Rodriguez's coaching staff as an assistant quarterbacks coach.
While listening to White address the team, Bray realized that he was going to be the last player to wear his number - something White said he wanted.
The senior admits that was a huge confidence booster for him.
"Before he even made his speech or anything, the first thing he said was, 'I want Bray to wear it. Can you all please let Bray finish out wearing No. 5?' That was one of my biggest moments, and it meant the world to me," he said. "I'm going to do all I can to make sure to wear this number the right way."
White's No. 5 will join a list of six other retired uniform numbers representing the most iconic players in Mountaineer football history. The others are Major Harris' No. 9, Ira Eerrett Rodgers' No. 21, Chuck Howley's No. 66, Sam Huff's No. 75, Bruce Bosley's No. 77 and Darryl Talley's No. 90.
Bray says he has seen a lot of White's highlight clips on YouTube from when White was a Mountaineer player.
"He was something serious, now – super serious. It's crazy how good he was," he said.
Today, Bray is well aware of what Pat White means to the people of West Virginia anytime he sees White interact with fans out in the public. There are always immediate recognition, respect and appreciation for the greatest winner in West Virginia University history.
No player will ever top the four bowl games White won as the Mountaineers' starting quarterback, including the 2006 Nokia Sugar and the 2008 Tostitos Fiesta Bowls – considered two of the greatest victories in school history."You can see, anytime we step out of the facility people come up to him like he's still playing and want autographs and stuff," Bray said. "That's something you dream of as a player, and it's just so cool to see what he's done and how much of an impact he's had on the whole state.
"I never told him this, but he's just been a major part of me during my journey, just watching him and just how like he attacks every day and how humble he is," Bray added.
The reminders of White's greatness are everywhere, from pictures of him as a player on the walls of the football complex to Mountaineer football staffers Rasheed Marshall and Noel Devine talking to the players about his toughness and desire to win.
Those two things were always equal to his enormous talent.
"Rasheed talks about how big Pat was on his career. All the past players on the staff now only talk about him with the highest regard on how he was as a player," Bray said.
"He was gritty when you get down to it," he added, alluding to White's famous peel-back block against Connecticut that has become a popular video clip for Mountaineer players to watch. Having your 185-pound, franchise quarterback do something like that in a game demonstrates the "hard edge" that Rodriguez is trying to reestablish within the football program. "You wouldn't want your quarterback to do that sometimes, but he was going to go do it. I know that's the kind of guy I would want to go play with."
Bray, now a redshirt senior making his second media day trip representing WVU, says he is ready to finally showcase his talents to college football fans eager to see him play a full season at West Virginia.
Injuries and misfortune have been his two biggest obstacles since transferring from Oklahoma State three years ago.
"I'm going to try and not put too much pressure on myself or anything like that, but this year is definitely going to be something special," he predicted. "I'm not really thinking anymore. I know the playbook. I'm super comfortable with the coaching staff, and they have all the confidence in me to go out there and play, so that takes a lot of pressure off me when you know you've got a staff that believes in you."
Bray says he appreciates playing for an established veteran coach like Rich Rodriguez, who is very similar to his former Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy in that regard.
"You can tell they've been around a lot of ball, and they know when players are BS'ing them," Bray laughed. "You can just tell that they are really smart guys."
As for 2026, Bray's main goal is simple – to be out on the field dressed and healthy for the regular season finale at Utah on Friday, Nov. 27.
"I'm healthy and I'm just trying to get out there and play," he concluded.
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