At the forefront of head football coach Rich Rodriguez’s scheme is a consistent run game that aims to take the soul out of opposing defenders.
With Cam Cook spearheading the group, it looks like he just may have found the running back room that will be able to accomplish that goal for the upcoming season. Read more: Position review #2: Cook leads exciting RB room for West Virginia.
Cook leads a relatively young group with a lot of potential for the future. However, until then, there will be no questions asked on who the leader of the backfield will be.
Cook’s greatness
Cook enters his first year with the Mountaineers after spending last season at Jacksonville State. Before that, Cook played his first two years of college at TCU.
As a sophomore at TCU, Cook actually showed a lot of promise as a Power 4-level back. In 12 games, he led the Horned Frogs with 460 rushing yards, as well as nine touchdowns.
He also recorded 75 yards on 18 receptions. Despite his production, Cook opted to step away from the Power 4 and go to Jacksonville State.
The Gamecocks are part of Conference USA, normally a far cry from Big 12-level competition. However, Cook knew that it was going to be his best opportunity to shine and show just what he could do with a lot of carries.
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That is exactly what he did as he ended up leading the nation with 1,659 carries and 16 touchdowns, ranking in the top-10 as well. In Cook’s previous year at TCU, he had 119 carries, but that number shot up to 295 with Jacksonville State.
Not only did Cook prove he can be a bellcow type of back, but he also demonstrated that he is one of the best running backs in the country. Whether it is in the Big 12 or Conference USA, Cook has gotten better each year no matter the competition.
After one season removed, Cook is back in the Big 12 with the Mountaineers. There is no doubt he’s ready to lead Rodriguez’s heavy run attack.
However, he does have some reinforcements behind him that can also contribute as early as this season.
Likely backup
Cook’s most likely backup will be JUCO transfer Martavious Boswell. The junior also enters his first season at West Virginia after spending the 2025 season at Copiah-Lincoln Community College.
Before that, he attended Blinn Junior College in his home state of Texas for his freshman year. However, his sophomore year was the one that put him on the map and allowed him to make the jump to the FBS level.
Boswell rushed for 1,109 yards and 13 touchdowns, which earned him All-MCCCC First-Team honors and a spot on the NJCAA All-American Second Team Offense.
Despite playing just 10 games, he still accumulated 130 carries to help show he can handle a high workload. That combination of durability and production will make him a serviceable backup to Cook.
With how much Rodriguez is looking to run the ball this year, there ia a good chance that we see Boswell a number of times on the field. Coming out of the transfer portal, he was ranked as the No. 2 RB at the JUCO level, so he certainly has the ability to make a heavy impact for WVU.
Where Cook is the power, every-down type of back, Boswell is the lightning out of the bottle. He has an incredibly quick burst and the potential to break the edge at any time.
His playstyle should work well as a 1-2 punch alongside Cook.
The young bucks
While Cook and Boswell have likely positioned themselves as the primary running backs this season, WVU still has a handful of youth in the group that will be able to contribute for years to come.
Among the most exciting in that group is freshman Amari Latimer, who signed alongside his brother Geimere Latimer.
The younger Latimer signed as a four-star recruit out of Georgia, where he was the No. 38 overall player in the state. He was also ranked the No. 21 running back in the class.
Despite playing linebacker as well, Latimer still managed to become the all-time leading rusher at his high school with 5,595 yards and 78 touchdowns. He also holds the record for single-game touchdowns with seven and rushing yards with 287.
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Listed at 5-foot-10 and 231 pounds, Latimer possesses the size to be a physical running back. He has shown to be a tough, downhill style of back that should play well in Rodriguez’s scheme.
Alongside him is freshman Chris Talley out of Memphis, Tennessee. Recruiting services ranked Talley as the No. 38 player in Tennessee and the No. 65 running back in the class.
As well as being a productive player on the football field in high school, Talley also won two state track titles in the 110-meter hurdles. He also earned a second-place finish in the 300-meter hurdles.
Wrapping up the group are a pair of redshirt sophomores in Darius Morant and Andre Devine. For Morant he enters his first season with the Mountaineers, and Devine enters his third season with the program.
Both will be quality depth for West Virginia this season.
Moving on
That wraps up the running back room for West Virginia ahead of the 2026-27 season. Clearly, it is a group headlined by Cook, who is primed to be one of the best backs in the conference.
With Cook at the forefront, West Virginia’s rushing attack should also be one of the most effective in the Big 12 as well.
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