James Cook hails from the Georgia Running Back Factory that served up D’Andre Swift, Sony Michel, Nick Chubb, and Todd Gurley in recent drafts. He also is the younger brother of Dalvin Cook, so he has the genetics and pedigree to be an NFL running back. Cook was the third-ranked running back in the 2018 recruiting class, and teammate Zamir White was the first-ranked. Just being a Georgia running back says a lot.
But they used a committee backfield, and Cook had minor playing time for the first three seasons. He played behind D’Andre Swift, Elijah Holyfield, and Zamir White until his senior year, when he started several games in a timeshare with White, and Cook saw his busiest season as a receiver while the Bulldogs won the Orange Bowl over Michigan and then a national championship versus Alabama.
Cook’s best game was in the 2021 Orange Bowl when he ran for 32 yards on six carries and then caught four passes for 112 yards and a score. He later rushed for 77 yards on six carries and caught two passes for 15 yards in the championship against the Crimson Tide.
