West Virginia senior running back Cam Cook has already made a strong first impression in Morgantown, and now the Big 12 has put him on its preseason radar.
Cook was selected to the 29-player Preseason All-Big 12 Team announced by the conference, giving the Mountaineers a headline name as they head toward 2026. The transfer from Jacksonville State arrived last winter as one of West Virginia’s top portal additions, and his résumé explains why the league took notice.
In 2025, Cook was named Conference-USA’s "Athlete of the Year" after leading the FBS with 1,659 rushing yards. That total included a season-best 218 yards in a 29-27 win over Sam Houston. He also ripped off 195 yards and two touchdowns against Liberty, and he topped 100 yards in all but three games last season.
At 5-foot-9 and 202 pounds, Cook is projected to be West Virginia’s featured back in 2026. He also fits the profile of a Rich Rodriguez offense, with Rodriguez having a track record of producing productive rushers at West Virginia, Michigan, Arizona and, most recently, Jacksonville State. At Jacksonville State, his offensive line coach was Rick Trickett, who is now at WVU.
Cook’s numbers went beyond the box score, too. His advanced stats from last season showed more than 100 missed tackles forced and 1,142 yards after contact.
Before Jacksonville State, Cook spent two seasons at TCU after a prep career at Stony Point High, where recruiting services gave him a four-star rating. He was also rated the No. 17 running back and No. 28 overall prospect in 247Sports’ transfer rankings.
Cook steps into a spot previously held by Jahiem White, who was named to the Preseason All-Big 12 squad last year. White is now at North Texas playing for coach Neal Brown.
The rest of the league’s preseason honors went to BYU running back LJ Martin, who was named Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, Texas Tech defensive lineman AJ Holmes, who earned Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, and Oklahoma State sophomore quarterback Drew Mestemaker, who was selected as Preseason Newcomer of the Year.
Media members covering the 16 conference schools chose the team.
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The most attention-grabbing date on the list is Sept. 5, when the program will stage a jersey retirement ceremony tied to one of its most iconic numbers, with fans also being asked to dress in white for the first time since that players final home game in 2008. Later in the season, the home opener in conference play will bring back Gold Rush, while the Oct. 10 matchup with Arizona is set for Coal Rush and will also serve as a showcase for the newest WVU Sports Hall of Fame class before they are honored in the stadium. [Read more 🡒]