West Virginia’s running back room for 2026 has a little bit of everything: a proven workhorse, a freshman built like he was drawn up in a lab, and a handful of younger backs trying to force their way into the picture.
Jay Boulware is in his first year coaching the group, and the top of the depth chart is already easy to spot. Cam Cook, the Jacksonville State transfer, arrives in Morgantown with the kind of résumé that turns heads. Rich Rodriguez was thrilled to land him after a winter recruiting battle that included several other Power Four programs, and the fit was obvious: a run-heavy offense and a back who has already shown he can carry a massive load.
Cook’s 2025 season was as loud as it gets. He led the country with 1,659 yards and paced Conference USA with 16 rushing touchdowns.
He handled 295 carries, the third-most in college football behind only Kewan Lacy of Ole Miss and Cale Hellums of Army. The production wasn’t empty, either.
Cook forced 92 missed tackles and averaged 3.88 yards after contact per attempt, with 49 runs of 10 or more yards. In three games, he ripped off eight such carries.
His lowest output was 75 yards in the opener against UCF, and he had 77 against Southern Miss. Outside of those two games, he topped 100 yards every time he played.
He’s not just a runner. Cook caught 30 passes for 286 yards and was charged with only three drops all season.
Most of that work came in the quick game, but he could also show up in the slot this fall. He held up in protection, too, allowing just three pressures and one sack on 45 dropbacks.
In other words, this is the kind of back who can stay on the field in every situation.
Before college, Cook piled up 4,922 rushing yards and 78 touchdowns on 567 carries, while adding 64 catches for 866 yards and nine scores. His long list of offers included Arizona, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, Miami, Michigan, Mississippi State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, Pitt, Purdue, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, USC, Washington, Wisconsin and more.
If Cook is the established star, Amari Latimer is the freshman phenom. At 5-foot-10 and 230 pounds, he looks every bit the part of a future centerpiece.
The staff knew early he could make an immediate impact, and he backed that up during spring ball. Over 15 practices, he made it clear he was the second-best back in the room and a strong candidate to become a major piece of the offense down the road.
Latimer’s game is built on power, but there’s more to him than just running through people. He brings speed to go with the physicality, and that combination is what makes him such a dangerous prospect. Cook will take a big share of the carries, but Latimer should still have plenty to work with.
Martavious Boswell brings a different kind of intrigue. He spent his first two years in junior college, playing at Blinn and Copiah-Lincoln CC, where he became the starter at Co-Lin and rushed for more than 1,100 yards.
The word around him is simple: he moves fast. Not just when he’s past the line of scrimmage, but when he’s getting to the edge and changing direction.
The jump to Power Four football will still be an adjustment, but the speed is real.
Boswell’s high school line included 1,795 yards and 20 touchdowns on 196 carries. His offers included Arkansas, Cincinnati, Colorado, Georgia Tech, Jacksonville State, Liberty, Memphis and Pitt.
Chris Talley is another speed threat, and by all accounts one of the fastest players on the roster. He has the look of a big-play back, and his high school tape showed more than just burst.
He stayed on his feet through contact and showed impressive balance for his size. He may not be a major part of the 2026 offensive plan, but the future is there.
Talley’s high school numbers were 179 carries for 1,296 yards and 26 touchdowns. His offers included Arkansas State, Austin Peay, Georgia State, Jacksonville State, Middle Tennessee, Sacramento State, South Alabama and Southern Miss.
Then there are the wild cards. Lawrence Autry could have landed in that group because there’s real belief in his upside, but he won’t arrive until the summer, which puts him behind the rest of the room in terms of learning the offense. He comes in at 221 pounds and, while not as big as Latimer, he is still a stout back.
Andre Devine, the son of former WVU star Noel Devine, also made noise this offseason. The reports out of Morgantown have been strong, especially when it comes to his work in the weight room and the plays he made in spring. He has a chance to carve out a role on special teams, possibly as a returner.
Darius Morant rounds out the group. A former walk-on at Temple, he did not see game action there and arrived late as a depth addition. He’ll be in the mix for special teams work as well.
In Other News...
Will Griers Next Football Move Will Hit Home For WVU Fans
Will Griers next football step comes after a playing career that took him from West Virginia to the NFL and, most recently, into a familiar stop with the Cowboys. The former Mountaineers quarterback has retired from playing and moved into coaching, a transition that fits the kind of football life he has built over the years, one that already included multiple seasons in Dallas as a backup quarterback.
For WVU fans, the move carries an easy thread to follow because Grier is not walking into an unfamiliar building. He already knows the Cowboys offense, the people around it and the rhythm of that organization, and his path now mirrors the kind of player-to-coach rise Dallas has seen before. It is a new chapter for Grier, but one that still keeps him close to the same NFL stage he has been around for a while. [Read more 🡒]
What Joson Sanon Just Revealed Should Fire Up WVU Fans
Joson Sanons arrival gives West Virginia another intriguing piece to build around for the 2026-27 season, and it is easy to see why the former St. Johns guard and Arizona State transfer has already caught attention. With three years of eligibility left under the new NCAA rules, he brings both long-term upside and immediate scoring potential to a roster that expects him to play a much larger offensive role.
Sanon made it clear he views WVU as the best place for his development, and that matters for a program trying to stack talent with purpose. He should have the ball in his hands more often and be asked to do more than he did before, which is exactly the kind of opportunity that can reshape a players trajectory, whether he stays in Morgantown for the long haul or eventually weighs his next step after the season. [Read more 🡒]
Why West Virginia's Offensive Line Suddenly Feels Like The Season's Swing Unit
West Virginias offensive line is one of the more intriguing rooms on the roster heading into fall camp, mostly because it looks so different from a year ago and yet still has a familiar backbone. The Mountaineers brought back their two best performers from last season, added five players with FBS starting experience and now have a deeper pool of eligible bodies to sort through as the staff evaluates who can handle the demands up front.
The upside is obvious enough: more proven options, more competition and a new voice guiding the group in Rick Trickett. The question is how quickly all those pieces settle into something coherent, because the lines ceiling will depend less on raw talent than on whether West Virginia can identify the best five and get them playing like one unit before the season starts to matter. [Read more 🡒]