These Two Metrics Prove Just How Insanely Talented WVU RB Cam Cook Is

By now, you've all read or heard the crazy numbers that West Virginia running back Cam Cook put up last season at Jacksonville State. But what exactly went into those stats? What do they mean? That's one of the things we discussed in our offensive preview on the In The Gun podcast.

As WVU head coach Rich Rodriguez alluded to last week, Cook isn't necessarily a burner, but he's just as every bit of a threat to rip off a big run as a "speedster" is. He just gets it done in a different manner.

Who better to break down the film than our own Jed Drenning?

Jed released the first of a three-part series breaking down Cook's game earlier this week, and the second episode will come out this weekend. But in our offensive preview, he gave some context to the one stat that is essentially tattooed to Cook — missed tackles forced.

“The metric with Cam Cook, he’s just so daggone hard to tackle," Jed said. "The metrics support very much what you see on tape, very much what his former teammates have said and current teammates who came with him. Pro Football Focus started tracking this metric (MTF) in 2014, so it’s coming up on year No. 12, and during that time, only three guys in the history of the metric have recorded 100 or more MTFs in a single season – Ashton Jeanty, Cam Skattebo, and Cam Cook.”

That's ELITE company. Ashton Jeanty put up some of the biggest numbers you'll ever see for a running back at Boise State and was selected with the sixth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft by the Las Vegas Raiders. Skattebo led the Big 12 in rushing and finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting in 2024.

If you are mentioned with those guys, that's a pretty good sign. But just wait... We'll share another elite group of players that Cook can be mentioned with that will blow your mind.

So, how does Cam Cook do what he does?

“I wanted something that would capture what he is more so than what he isn’t. He’s not a Steve Slaton, Noel Devine track star. He’s not going to separate by beating you to the edge and climbing 70 yards because outruns all the angles. As a matter of fact, you might see him get run down on 70-yard runs. He’s still difficult to tackle downfield, but not because of his speed; it’s because he’s difficult to tackle anywhere by nature. He’ll stiff-arm you; he has a low center of gravity. He’s just supremely difficult to get to the ground. He may not be a track star; he may not be the long-distance guy because of his speed. What he is, I think he’s the fastest player in the country for 20 yards. In a phone booth, watch out. He’s a bobcat in a phone booth.”

Jed mentioned that he dug up Cook's short shuttle time from his junior year in high school, which was 4.01. That time would have been the fastest by any player at any position in this past year's NFL Combine. When he talked with the strength staff about how impressed he was with that time, they said, "Jed, he just ran a 3.97 here."

Remember when Cook said he's the heaviest he's ever been, but also faster than ever? Well, he wasn't lying.

A few guys who ran sub-four-second short shuttles in recent years? Jahmyr Gibbs, Ja'Marr Chase, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. That time of 3.97 would be the third-fastest in the history of the Combine, behind only Chris Rainey and Ameer Abdullah.

Add us as a preferred source on Google