2023 Michigan Running Back Cole Cabana Races His Way to WVU Offer

2023 recruit Cole Cabana didn’t meet West Virginia coaches until he arrived at the Gold & Blue camp on Monday. However, that relationship quickly blossomed upon getting to speak face-to-face and showing off some on-field skill at camp.

Cabana (5-foot-11, 170 pounds) picked up an offer from WVU running backs coach Chad Scott after a strong showing at the camp, particularly impressing him with a 4.44 40-yard dash. Cabana said the WVU coaches were good to him, Scott himself chatting with him after the camp, noting what he liked about Cabana’s camp performance and game tape.

“The camp was great,” Cabana told WVSN. “I loved working with coach Scott and got to learn a lot as well as show off my talent. I did learn a lot about WVU. I learned about their facilities, coaching style, and their environment.”

With offers from Akron, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Liberty, Louisville, Marshall, Toledo, Youngstown State and Syracuse already, Cabana was excited to receive one from WVU, too.

“I was stoked to get offered,” Cabana said. “I know it’s a great school overall and they have a good football team. I always feel good after getting an offer, especially when it’s after my camp performance. Coach Scott talked to me for a while after the camp talking about things he liked about me that he saw during the camp and on my film.”

While Cabana does not have a timeline in making a decision about his college choice yet, only just finishing his sophomore season, WVU has made an impact upon him already. WVU already invited him back to Morgantown for a visit later in July.

(Photo courtesy of Cole Cabana)

“They are definitely higher up on my list so far,” Cabana said. “I loved the way the coaches treated me and I think I would have great opportunities there.”

Cabana has already been busy this summer, heading to Northwestern for a visit Wednesday, and he said he has a couple of other schools — in addition to WVU — hoping to bring him out to their campuses this summer. Already, he has visited Michigan and Vanderbilt, too. The recruiting process for Cabana is heating up.

In the fall, Cabana will return to Dexter High School in Dexter, Michigan. As a sophomore last season, he served a swiss army knife for the Dreadnaughts, racking up over 1,000 yards of total offense as a running back and wide receiver. Cabana rushed for 592 yards and nine touchdowns and caught 46 passes for 468 yards and six touchdowns.

In the modern era of running backs serving as potent receiving threats out of the backfield, Cabana is well-equipped to handle the load. As a track star for Dexter, too, he’s consistently run sub-10 second 100-yard dashes. His elite speed is especially evident even as a sophomore.

Cabana’s decision date is still to be determined, likely years in the making, but WVU has made an early impact on his recruitment. If WVU were to pick up his commitment, the Mountaineers would be getting a recruit who wants to do it all.

“[WVU] would get an athlete that can play all over the field, that can run the ball, catch the ball, make people miss, and outrun people,” Cabana said. “They would also be getting a very hard working and humble student-athlete.”