West Virginia has spent years searching for a backfield that can make people lean forward in their seats the way Pat White and Steve Slaton once did. Rich Rodriguez just poured gasoline on that conversation.
On Wednesday, Rodriguez was asked whether there are any similarities between Mike Hawkins and Cam Cook and the old White-Slaton pairing. He didn’t duck it.
“Obviously Pat came and redshirted a year, so he had a year to learn before he played, and Stevie was a true freshman, and he was just a freaky speed guy. He was so fast that once he learned it, he was going to go.
Those guys were probably the two fastest guys on the team. Mike is probably one of the fastest, and Cam can run, but the best thing about Cam is he has a great feel for the position.
Whether it’s pass protection, running routes, where he’s supposed to press on the hole, and all that kind of stuff. He’s an experienced football player, but he’s a ‘rookie’ in our system, and so is Mike.
They have not played a game for West Virginia yet, so I’ve got to remind myself that they’ve got some experience at this level, but they haven’t played for West Virginia yet. But we’re going to force-feed them because I think both of those guys are good players.”
That last part is the money line. Rodriguez is not just acknowledging Hawkins and Cook - he’s telling you they’re going to be central to everything West Virginia does.
And there’s a reason the buzz keeps building. The staff has been high on Hawkins for months, and this latest comment only sharpens that picture. In Rodriguez’s view, the pair are still learning the system, but the talent is obvious enough that the staff is going to keep feeding them until they’re fully up to speed.
The comparison to White and Slaton is obviously a heavy one. It’s been 19 years since they lined up together, and West Virginia hasn’t really had that same kind of rushing punch since.
Noel Devine had elite production during his time as the starting running back, and his one season with White was special, but the 2008 season overall fell short. After that came the Air Raid years under Dana Holgorsen, and while he ran the ball more than most coaches from the Hal Mumme tree, it still didn’t resemble the identity of those early-2000s Rodriguez teams.
Neal Brown had his own success on the ground with Leddie Brown, CJ Donaldson, Jahiem White and quarterback Garrett Greene, but the Mountaineers never quite turned that into something bigger.
Now the hope is that Hawkins and Cook can be the duo that changes that. It’s fair to say the expectations are building fast, even if the timeline stretches beyond this season. Cook can return in 2027 now that everyone gets a fifth year of eligibility, and if he passes on the NFL and comes back for another year in Morgantown, the bar for that team would be sky-high.
For now, though, the message from Rodriguez is simple: the Mountaineers believe they have two players who can matter right away, and they’re going to build around them. They still have to prove it on the field, but West Virginia fans have plenty of reason to feel good about where this could be headed.
In Other News...
Rich Rodriguez Sends West Virginia A Camp Message Fans Needed
West Virginia opened fall camp with Rich Rodriguez setting the tone early, and the message was simple enough for everyone in the program to hear. The first practice came with a reminder that the next two weeks matter more than just getting through workouts, because this is the stretch where habits are formed, competition gets sharpened and a roster tries to start looking more like a team.
Rodriguez pointed to the need for urgency from both players and staff as the Mountaineers try to move past recent losing seasons and preseason expectations that have not been kind. Defensive coordinator Zac Alley backed up that approach by stressing intensity and the need to squeeze every bit of value out of camp, which is exactly the kind of edge this group needs if it wants to change its trajectory before the real games begin. [Read more 🡒]
Rich Rod Could Finally Clarify Two West Virginia Roster Concerns
Rich Rodriguez is expected to give West Virginia a clearer picture of where the roster stands when he speaks this week, and there are a couple of situations worth watching closely. One involves a running back signee whose arrival has been complicated by a season-ending ACL injury and the fact that he still has not been added to the official roster, leaving a simple paperwork question tied to a much bigger health issue.
The other revolves around a possible path for a handful of players from last season to come back for another year after a court ruling created the chance for a fifth season of eligibility. West Virginia has not made any decisions there yet, and the NCAA is appealing the ruling, so the program is stuck in the middle of an unsettled process that could reshape parts of the depth chart once the dust settles. [Read more 🡒]
West Virginia Heads Into Fall Camp With One Quiet Concern
West Virginias fall camp opens with a few important roster questions, but the offense and defense both at least have some shape to them. Cam Cook and Amari Latimer are expected to factor into the running back picture, while Andre Devine could carve out a role as the Mountaineers sort through how to distribute touches. On the other side of the ball, a defense with eleven new starters leans heavily on leadership and quickly forming trust, which makes the early weeks of camp especially important.
The quiet concern is not about scheme so much as stability in a phase of the game that can flip tight contests. The Mountaineers have work to do in sorting out the kicking picture, and fall camp will be the proving ground for that battle. In a season where so much is still being defined, the pressure on that one spot carries outsized weight because the margin for error in the Big 12 is already so thin. [Read more 🡒]