1,600-Yard RB Predicted to Take College Football by Storm in 2026 Season

Much of the transfer portal consists of shuffling familiar names to unfamiliar places. If stardom (or big money) eludes a top player at one top school, he hads to another. But sometimes, it's a more complicated process.

Some transfer portal finds are looking to move on up into top college football's top echelon after proving themselves at a lower tier. Of course, to make life even more complicated, some moved down after initially underwhelming in a power conference setting, but now are heading back with significant accolades and conditions ripe to succeed.

An overlooked star

A season ago, Jacksonville State RB Cam Cook tore through college football, leading all of FBS in rushing with 1,659 yards and 16 scores. Cook was a workhorse, with 10 separate 100-yard games in the season. The 5'11", 200 pound back showcased exactly what he could do in a zone-read offense in Conference USA.

It was a very different situation than when Cook began his career at TCU. In two seasons, he totaled just 135 carries and gained 518 yards and nine touchdowns. Not bad, but not the sort of thing that makes NIL cash registers chime. So Cook took the aggressive path, spent a season as a Jacksonville State Gamecock, and now could be ready to explode again with West Virginia after a whirlwind recruitment that included some other heavy hitters.

Bleacher Report writer Brad Shepard is optimistic about Cook's move, including him in a column of unheralded portal players who could shine. Shepard notes that Cook's path actually mirrors that of West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez, who re-emerged as a coach at Jacksonville State and earned his way to WVU.

Shepard notes that Cook is "the perfect fit" for Rodriguez's run-heavy attack and with the veteran coach building up his roster off a 4-8 season in 2025, Shepard concludes that Cook "could be a terrific veteran addition in the Big 12."

RB Cam Cook Receives Major Praise from Rich Rod Just a Few Practices Into Spring Ball https://t.co/zm5IfValpP #wvu #wvumountaineers #wvusports #westvirginia
— Mountaineers Fandom (@wvufandom) March 13, 2026

Cook's place within the portal running back class

Cook was very much an under-the-radar portal addition, as Rivals ranked him as the No. 171 player in the portal and the No. 13 running back in the portal, even off a season of leading the nation in rushing. The biggest names were North Texas transfer Caleb Hawkins, whose 1,434 yards ranked fifth nationally and Hollywood Smothers, who rushed for 939 yards at NC State. Hawkins followed his coach, Eric Morris, to Oklahoma State, while Smothers is headed to Texas to supplement a deep Longhorn roster.

For Cook, being overlooked isn't exactly new, but if 2025 proved anything, it's that when he's forgotten, Cam Cook can pull back his fair share of the spotlight.

West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez may have made a passive transfer portal grab when he got Jacksonville State's Cam Cook. | Rob Gray-Imagn Images