Cam Cook Grades Among Top Returning Running Backs in Big 12

Piling on the hype and praise, West Virginia’s Cam Cook is among the highest graded returning running backs in the Big 12.

PFF awarded Cook a grade of 85.9, which places him fifth on their list. It also adds to an off-season full of national recognition.

A member of multiple preseason All-America teams, Cook now tries to take his game another level in Rich Rodriguez’s system.

Coming to West Virginia after being the nation’s leading rusher in 2025 with Jacksonville State, Cook still has plenty left to prove as a Mountaineer, namely if he can pivot his ability to be a workhorse over to the Power Four level.

Can he dominate to the same level in the Big 12? Can he handle a big workload without much experience behind him? Will Cook be enough if West Virginia does not find stable backups to share the touches in a run-first offense? These are all valid questions people are asking and wondering about when it comes to Cook as a Mountaineer.

Fully aware of the pressure and expectations, Cook is confident in himself, too. He knows he can take the WVU offense to new heights in 2026.

Cook explained his mentality and why he holds himself to a very high standard after spring practice on Monday, March 30. On the heels of being the nation’s leading rusher in 2025, Cook feels ready to be a featured back in the Big 12 again.

“I’m going to do whatever it takes to help the team,” Cook said about his role as a Mountaineer. “I’m going to do whatever it takes to help us get to where we need to go. Last year, they asked me to do a lot, and I did whatever the team needed.”

West Virginia running back Cam Cook carries the ball during the Gold-Blue Festival’s scrimmage in April, 2026. (WV Sports Now photo by Kelsie LeRose)

“I have changed a lot since then,” responded Cook when asked how he’s changedsince starting his college career at TCU.

“I’m a bigger back, I’m faster and smarter. I know what’s going on on all sides of the field. Not just what the running back is doing, but how the offensive line is blocking and where they’re trying to get to.”

Find more coverage of Cam Cook and WVU football at WV Sports now.

For a related story, Cam Cook opened up about why he picked West Virginia and why he fits so well in Rich Rodriguez’s system.