TCU running back Cam Cook ready to prove he’s among the best in the Big 12

There might not be another college football conference with the stable of running backs the Big 12 will showcase this season.

Oklahoma State’s Ollie Gordon, Kansas’ Devin Neal and Texas Tech’s Tahj Brooks are among the best players in the country. There are players like UCF’s R.J. Harvey, who is also at the top of the running back mountain. One name you haven’t heard included in that mix is TCU running back Cam Cook.

The former four-star recruit had to wait his turn behind 1,000-yard rusher Emani Bailey last season, but now it’s Cook’s time to be the Horned Frogs’ lead running back. Not only is he trying to follow in the footsteps of Bailey and Kendre Miller, Cook is trying to establish himself as one of the Big 12’s top running backs.

Cook is no stranger to having to prove himself on a national level.

“Even during my recruiting cycle I didn’t have a lot of eyes on me,” Cook said. “I’m ready to go out there and show they’re wrong for not putting me there or having me at the top of the lists. It doesn’t affect me, I’m just ready to put in the work and show them.”

Cook has just 16 carries compared to over 300 for stars like Gordon and Brooks. He’s the definition of unproven, but there’s little doubt around the TCU program of what he can do as the feature back in this offense.

“He’s just a dynamic back, he accelerates really well,” quarterback Josh Hoover said. “He’s got very good balance and vision back there. It’s just encouraging to have him back there and just know when you put the ball in his hands good things are going to happen.”

Dating back to the spring, Cook has been one of TCU’s most reliable players on offense. In the spring, Cook showed his explosiveness, like when he had a touchdown and a run over 20 yards in back-to-back practices in mid-April. He had multiple touchdown runs of at least 20 yards to close the spring.

During fall camp, Cook showed that he had even more to his game than all of the explosive runs. He had a workman-like approach to camp, being willing to pick up the tough yards between the tackles to keep the chains moving.

He took hits and delivered some of his own as he made the defense earn every tackle. Watching Bailey and highlights of Miller helped Cook mentally prepare for the rigors of being the workhorse running back in this offense.

“I feel like I’ve been able to show a lot and do a lot,” Cook said. “I would say being patient in the backfield is one of my strong suits, being able to let the play develop and not rush it. I’m able to wait for the hole to appear to get those three and four yards through contact. I’m able to read the body language of the defender, and I’m able to read where they are and where I can cut back and get those extra yards.”

Cook’s speed and toughness give him a chance to be a dynamic back, but it’s the mental approach that could really make him special. He can see a play develop before it happens, and that type of vision is what separates Gordon and Brooks from the rest of the country.

Now it’s Cook’s time to prove he belongs, and it’s a moment he’s been working for his whole life.

“I’ve been playing with Cam Cook since the fifth grade, Cam is a true workhorse,” wide receiver Braylon James said. “Every time he touches the ball he wants to score. I think it’s so inspiring to go out there and watch him. He’s in the RB1 role and I’m super excited for him. He’s the guy, he’s the truth.

“I’m not just saying that because he’s my best friend, I know where his head is at and he really wants this.”