West Virginia is already talking like it wants real depth at running back in 2026, and Chris Talley is making his case fast.
With Cam Cook expected to lead the room and Amari Latimer sitting next on the depth chart whenever one is released, the spot behind them is still up for grabs. That’s where Talley, Martavious Boswell, and Lawrence Autry come in, and running backs coach Jay Boulware made it clear Talley has separated himself from that group.
“The guy of that crew, I like what all of them are doing - they all bring something to the table, man. Boswell with his speed.
He’s got tremendous, tremendous speed. If you don’t take a good angle, he’s gone.
"Talley is probably the one that I’ve been the most pleased with after the first two," he continued. "He’s got something special, man.
And I said it from the day that I first saw him on the field. He’s smooth.
He kind of glides. He’s got speed.
He understands how to get down low and finish runs. And he’s fearless.
He’ll go in there and run…I mean, he’s just got something to him that I really like. I look forward to coaching that kid over the next several years here and seeing how he continues to develop because I think he’s going to be special as well.”
Talley’s movement stands out because he can change direction without giving up much speed. He’s elusive, hard to square up, and tough to pin down once he gets rolling.
Boulware also pointed to Talley’s growth in the physical parts of the position. “He’s really good (off the ball)," Boulware said.
"He can catch. He needs to work on blocking a little bit.
He knows that; that’s not a secret. He’s not as big as the other guys, so he’s got to bring it every time.
But he’s put on some good weight. He came in here at 180-something, and he’s 190-something pounds now.
I’ve been really pleased with the work that our strength staff has done with him, our dietitians, and everybody in this building has done a great job with our running backs.”
Talley’s high school production at Whitehaven HS in Memphis, TN, backs up the buzz. As a senior, he ran for 1,317 yards and 17 touchdowns on 120 carries, averaging 11 yards per carry.
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For West Virginia, that matters because the backfield picture is already taking shape around Latimers place in it. He is expected to be part of the rotation this season, with a role that could grow as the staff looks for dependable production behind Cam Cook. Freshman backs usually spend their first months learning the speed of the college game, but Latimer sounds like someone the Mountaineers may be able to trust sooner than most, which makes his development one of the more interesting subplots of camp. [Read more 🡒]