Greg McElroy Has WVU’s Cam Cook Among the RB Elite

Rich Rodriguez's offense was absent of a lot of things in 2025, but the most notable was the lack of a workhorse at running back. Even behind an extremely poor offensive line, a dynamic running back can still make positive things happen, which is why it was such a big deal when Jahiem White went down in Week 2.

The outlook of the West Virginia offense for 2026 is much different, with an overhauled and improved offensive line and the addition of the nation's leading rusher, Cam Cook, who transfers in from Jacksonville State.

It's easy for some to look at Cook's workload and say, well, no wonder he led the nation in rushing when he was five carries short of 300 on the season. But that doesn't tell the full story. He was a thorn in the side of tacklers in the open field, constantly creating missed tackles and turning a two-yard gain into five or a five-yard gain into a first down.

Plugging him into Rodriguez's offense is like a match made in heaven. As long as the offensive line is consistent and stays healthy, he should put up some ridiculous numbers once again.

College football analyst and former Alabama QB Greg McElroy had a ton of praise for Cook, recently ranking him as the ninth-best running back in the country.

“The counterargument right now is that it’s the G5, and I want y’all to hear that. Cam Cook started his career at TCU, so he’s been around Power Four football for a long time. Goes to Jax State, leads the country in scrimmage yards, and forced 100 missed tackles in the process. Now he’s back in the Big 12 at West Virginia, and if there’s one thing we know, it’s that Rich Rodriguez, the head coach, he wants to run the football. He needs a dynamic, space-eating back that can handle 20 or 25 carries a game and contribute as a pass-catcher out of the backfield. Well, that is Cam Cook’s resume. Right there. If you look at what he is, this is the number nine running back in the country; some people think he’s a top-10 player in the country, regardless of position. All he is is maybe one dominant performance from Big 12 competition for everyone to get on board and acknowledge how good this young man might be.”

The nine backs that McElroy has listed ahead of Cook are Isaac Brown (Louisville), Nate Frazier (Georgia), LJ Martin (BYU), Mark Fletcher (Miami FL), Jadan Baugh (Florida), Kewan Lacy (Ole Miss), and Ahmad Hardy (Missouri).

A top-10 player in the country???

If we're talking about talent alone, Cook probably doesn't come anywhere near the top 10 in the country, and that comes with a ton of respect to his game. NFL scouts don't have a first-round grade on him and probably won't by the time the draft rolls around next spring. But as far as play-making ability and star potential? Yeah, Cook is right up there with some of the best in college football, especially in this system. By season's end, he should not only be an All-Big 12 selection but in the mix for some conference and national awards as well.

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