College football's leading rusher schedules Big 12 visit amid heavy P4 interest

The leading rusher in college football is visiting a Power Four college football program following his entry in the NCAA transfer portal.

Jacksonville State Gamecocks running back Cam Cook (4) warms up as Troy Trojans take on Jacksonville State Gamecocks during the IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl at Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Ala. on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The NCAA transfer portal is officially open for all college football players seeking new schools to compete for in 2026. The portal will stay open until Jan. 16.

Thousands of players across all levels of college football have made the decision to enter the transfer portal in the weeks following the conclusion of the regular season.

While Power Four transfers are receiving much attention, there are Group of Five prospects looking for new homes in the Power Four ranks.

Former Jacksonville State running back Cam Cook is one Group of Five player on the move. He will have one season of eligibility remaining at his third school.

Cook's production in the 2025 season has multiple Power Four teams looking his direction as their next starting running back. One school that has inserted itself in the conversation to land Cook out of the transfer portal is Houston.

Chris Hummer of CBS Sports reported that Cook was visiting Houston on Friday. The Cougars will be taking a hit to the depth in their running back room with both Dean Connors and Stacy Sneed running out of eligibility.

Jacksonville State star RB Cam Cook is set to visit Houston today, sources tell @ZBlostein247 and me for @247Sports.

Cook led the FBS with 1,659 rushing yards this season to go along with 16 TDs on 5.6 yards per carry. He began his career at TCU. https://t.co/efXWQlpuY6 pic.twitter.com/LFbRgJCc4u

— Chris Hummer (@chris_hummer) January 2, 2026

The 5-foot-11, 190-pounder began his career with Sonny Dykes at TCU in 2023. He appeared in eight games for the Horned Frogs his freshman year, accumulating 58 yards on 16 carries.

Cook appeared in every regular-season game with TCU in 2024. He ran for 460 yards and nine touchdowns while catching 18 passes for an additional 75 yards. He chose to transfer before the Horned Frogs' trip to the New Mexico Bowl in 2024, ultimately landing at Jacksonville State.

Cook's lone season with the Gamecocks was nothing short of phenomenal. He ran for an FBS-high 1,659 yards and 16 touchdowns while catching 30 passes for another 286 yards. He ran for over 100 yards in all but three of the games he played, including a 218-yard outing against Sam Houston State on Oct. 9, 2025.

Cook collected numerous accolades for his performance in 2025. On a conference level, Cook was named Conference USA Newcomer of the Year, Conference USA MVP, and All-Conference USA First Team. Nationally, he was named to the AP All-American Third Team and a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award, given to the best running back in college football.

Jacksonville State finished the regular season 8-4, three of its losses to non conference opponents. The Gamecocks appeared in the Conference USA Championship, falling to Kennesaw State (19-15).

Cook did not play in Jacksonville State's bowl game as he had already decided to enter the transfer portal. The Gamecocks defeated Troy (17-13) IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl on Dec. 16, 2025.

Jacksonville State's Cam Cook tries to evade the tackle of Kennesaw State's Alexander Ford during the C-USA Championship | Dave Hyatt / Hyatt Media LLC / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images