Top 3 transfer portal landing spots for college football's leading rusher Cam Cook

One of the most intriguing players to announce their transfer portal intentions this week -- really, this whole cycle overall -- is Jacksonville State running back Cam Cook, who is on the move again after leading college football in rushing yards this season.

Cook announced his intentions with a farewell post on Instagram on Dec. 24, instantly becoming one of the most coveted transfer targets for any program needing to reload or upgrade its running game.

Cook, who spent two years at TCU before transferring to Jacksonville State for his junior season, made that move pay off in a big way while rushing for an FBS-best 1,659 yards and 16 touchdowns, along with 30 catches for 286 yards in 13 games.

He also led the FBS in rushing attempts (295) and yards from scrimmage (1,945) for the 9-5 Gamecocks of Conference USA.

The 5-foot-11, 200-pound playmaker was named the Conference USA Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year. He earned first-team all-conference honors, was named an AP All-American and was also a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award.

Cook signed with TCU as a four-star prospect out of Round Rock, Texas, in 2023 after finishing his high school career with 2,899 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns, averaging 8.4 yards per carry over three seasons.

He had his moments with the Horned Frogs, rushing for 460 yards and 9 TDs as a sophomore last year, but his role diminished in Big 12 play, and so he left to find a fresh opportunity to more fully showcase his talents.

Mission accomplished. Cook churned out 10 100-yard rushing games this season and had at least 75 rushing yards in every game. His breakout season included a career-high 218 yards and 2 TDs (plus 15 receiving yards) in a 29-27 win over Sam Houston State and 195 rushing yards and 2 TDs in a 34-24 win over Liberty.

And there is a prominent recent precedent for a dominant Group of 5 running back moving onto a high-profile Power 4 role and replicating his success. Ahmad Hardy, who was second in the FBS with 1,560 rushing yards this season for Missouri, transferred to the Tigers from Louisiana-Monroe.

So what programs make the most sense as potential landing spots for Cook now? Here are three ...

The NCAA transfer portal does not officially open until Jan. 2. Players can only announce their intentions to enter the portal but are not permitted to communicate with other teams until the portal window begins. The window will remain open for 15 days, closing on Jan. 16.

Texas Longhorns

There has been a ton of buzz about Texas hoping to pursue Florida running back Jadan Baugh if he enters the transfer portal after a breakout season in which he rushed for 1,170 yards and 8 TDs on 220 carries, but new Gators coach Jon Sumrall is also making retaining Baugh a top priority.

So that option could never materialize for Texas, which also just lost its leading rusher over the last two years, Tre Wisner, who announced his intentions to enter the transfer portal Friday. Wisner's move could certainly have been related to the buzz about Texas's interest in Baugh, and it comes after fellow Texas RBs CJ Baxter, Jerrick Gibson and Rickey Stewart Jr. also announced portal plans.

So now the Longhorns almost have to prioritize investing big in a portal running back.

Cook is from right down the road in Round Rock, and it makes a lot of sense for both sides to bring him back home to Texas.

Penn State Nittany Lions

Way back in his recruitment out of high school, Cook named Penn State as one of his final six schools he was considering.

There doesn't appear to be a link between him and the new coaching staff, but any transfer running back should be intrigued by the opportunity in Happy Valley with the veteran duo of Kaytron Allen (1,303 rushing yards and 15 TDs this season) and Nicholas Singleton (549-13), both out of eligibility and moving on to the next level.

That means Penn State's top returning running backs are Cam Wallace and Corey Smith, who combined for 11 carries in the regular season, with 2025 freshman Quinton Martin also in the mix.

The Nittany Lions don't have an offensive coordinator or running backs coach in place yet, but new head coach Matt Campbell (a former OC) featured one of the most dynamic running backs in college football during his time at Iowa State with Breece Hall (3,933 rushing yards and 50 TDs in three seasons).

While there are surely many names Penn State will look at in looking for a veteran running back, Cook is as good a bet as any. This may not be the most obvious geographical fit for Cook or one based on personal connections to the staff, but on paper, it sure makes a lot of sense for both sides.

Arkansas Razorbacks

This one has a more direct personal connection. Cook's offensive coordinator this season at Jacksonville State was Clint Trickett, who was recently hired as quarterbacks coach at Arkansas under new head coach Ryan Silverfield.

That in itself wouldn't be a deciding factor for Cook, but when considering that Arkansas also has a gaping need for an impact running back and could offer Cook a huge role and the SEC spotlight, it makes some real sense.

The Razorbacks are losing their bell cow in the backfield, Mike Washington Jr., who rushed for 1,070 yards and 8 TDs on 6.4 yards per carry this fall in his final season of eligibility. Arkansas' next best running back was Braylen Russell (55-286-5), and he's expected to return. But that wouldn't stop Cook from coming in as the featured back.