Rich Rodriguez Explains Why WVU Targeted Cam Cook to Carry Offense

Once it became clear he was going to have a new running back room in 2026, Rich Rodriguez knew he needed a true workhorse to lead his offense. He knew he needed a star. He needed to try to find a veteran back he could rely on. He saw Cam Cook as that guy and the perfect fit for his system.

Rodriguez discussed why he targeted Cook in the transfer portal and what he brings to the Mountaineers during his media session at the Big 12 Media Days event.

“Our running back room was going to be completely new, not one person returning, so we wanted to get a veteran guy that could play at this level and had experience. Cam was the lading rusher in the country, played in a similar system at Jax State, and played in the Big 12 before,” said Rodriguez.

Cook’s success at Jacksonville State in an offense he built before leaving to return to West Virginia was one big factor in why Rodriguez wanted him, but not the only one. He had to study how Cook ran and what type of player he was on the field before bring fully bought in.

“He’s a complete player. He can run, obviously, he’s a great pass protector, has great pass catching skills. …. he was the first running back target [in the portal] and we were fortunate enough to get him.”

And even after bering sold on Cook as his next great running back, Rodriguez and his staff had to make sure they landed their top recruit.

They did, signing Cook in January and bringing him back to the Big 12, where he started his college career at TCU.

It’s now up to Rodriguez and Cook to prove any doubters wrong while simultaneously living up to the hype, answering the questions looming over the Mountaineer offense.

National Hype Intensifies as Cam Cook Earns Major Preseason Honor

Can Cook 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 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.”

And following up a season in which he stepped down a level with Jacksonville State, as Cook put it, the senior star running back appears poised to show he belongs in the Big 12 as a focal point of an offense.

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

“I’m a bigger back, I’m faster and smarter. I know what’s going 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, Rich Rodriguez sheds light on West Virginia’s quarterback competition.