WVU RB Cam Cook Highlights Career Growth, Journey Back to Big 12

One of WVU football head coach Rich Rodriguez’s major offseason signings came from his previous school, as senior running back Cam Cook joined the Mountaineers. He comes to WVU as the reigning national rushing yards leader from Jacksonville State, but that wasn’t his first stop in his collegiate career.

Cook started as a member of TCU in the 2023 and 2024 seasons, even seeing the field for two carries against WVU as the Mountaineers won 24-21 in Fort Worth. After stepping down to the G6 level for a year, Cook sees himself as a better and smarter football player.

“I think I’m a bigger back. I’m faster, smarter,” Cook said in a press conference Monday. “I know what’s going on all sides of the field, not just what the running back is doing, but how the o-line is blocking and where they’re trying to get to. So that helps me out a lot.”

While playing at Jacksonville State led to success for Cook, he didn’t see himself leaving TCU at first. While it was unexpected, it led to him becoming a Mountaineer.

“I didn’t envision myself going anywhere, like leaving. So like,  just that journey really changed me a lot and the stuff that I did go through like led me to this led me to being here. So I’d say just the whole process brought me here,” Cook added.

Cook tallied a staggering 1,659 yards at Jacksonville State last season. After playing multiple styles and different spots in the offense, Cook looks to bring a newfound versatility to Morgantown.

“It definitely helped me build my confidence. I would say just being able to go out there and play however I wanted to play fast and then show that I have multiple styles of gameplay. You can’t just put me in one box and think you could like shut me off that way,” Cook said. “I went out last year, I played in the slot, I played in motion into the backfield motion out the backfield. So just being able to show my different game.”

Heading into the 2026 season, Cook has a chance for a revenge game of sorts as WVU is set to face TCU on the road on Oct. 24, and several of Cook’s former teammates are now positioned to start for the Horned Frogs.

“Soon as they made the schedule, I seen it and like all of the guys that I was with at TCU are starting now,” Cook said. “It was real good to see that. It’s marked on mine, but I feel like we just gotta go get it as a team. Like we go as a team, we’ll be all right.”

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