Ron Cook Jr.

Senior running back for Buffalo. 2023: 609 rushing yards, 6 rushing TD, 29 catches.

RB · Buffalo · Sr. · #2

5′9″ · 190 lb · Temple Hills, MD

CFB Index 49 · #120 of 310 RBsHigh confidenceBuffalo 2023 alumnus

The story

4 running back for Buffalo. 2023: 609 rushing yards, 6 rushing TD, 29 catches.

The record fills in as he plays.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Five seasons at Buffalo, 1,826 rushing yards — his college career is complete.

Career arc

Recruit

—

No recruit profile

CFB

College

Buffalo

2019–2023

NFL

NFL Draft

—

Not drafted

Coaching lineage · 2019–2023

2 coaches

2019–2020

Lance Leipold

Buffalo

2021–2023

Maurice Linguist

Buffalo

era →

Coaching transition mid-career: Lance Leipold → Maurice Linguist. Worth noting in scheme + development context.

2023 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2019Buffalo8-5HC: Lance Leipold · Run-heavy

2020Buffalo6-1HC: Lance Leipold · Run-heavy, fast tempo

2021Buffalo4-8HC: Maurice Linguist · Run-leaning

2022Buffalo7-6HC: Maurice Linguist · Run-leaning

2023Buffalo3-9HC: Maurice Linguist · Balanced

Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort

Box-score + play-by-play EPA percentiles

49Rotational starter #120 of 310?

High confidence13 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: receptions (93rd percentile). Strength: rec yards (87th percentile). Concern: yards / carry (24th percentile).

Real play-by-play efficiency

Success rate#180 / 426 · 58th pct

46.0%

TD rate#189 / 426 · 55th pct

4.8%

EPA / carry#260 / 426 · 39th pct

0.11

Explosive rate#309 / 426 · 27th pct

4.8%

Yards / carry#323 / 426 · 24th pct

4.6

Box-score rates (8)

Receptions#20 / 327 · 93rd pct

Rec yards#44 / 327 · 87th pct

220

Carries#76 / 333 · 77th pct

148

Rush TDs#92 / 333 · 70th pct

Rush yards#119 / 333 · 64th pct

609

Long run#210 / 333 · 36th pct

Yards / carry#260 / 333 · 21st pct

4.1

Fumbles lost#154 / 207 · 16th pct

Season trend

Last seasonThis season

EPA / carry

17th → 39th percentile

Success rate

5th → 58th percentile

Explosive rate

56th → 27th percentile

Yards / carry

20th → 24th percentile

TD rate

26th → 55th percentile

Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season. Most bars are box-score rates; EPA / success-rate bars are computed from real play-by-play (offense only — no defensive EPA model exists yet).

Situational

Situational · Carry shape (PBP, full season)

Yardage DNA

124 carries

16%

Stuffed (≤0)

33%

Grind (1–3)

40%

Chunk (4–9)

10%

Explosive (10+)

Splits & context

Splits · Per-game

2023 season · 12 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	YDS/g	YPC	TD/g
Home6g	43.3	3.9	0.5
Road6g	58.2	4.3	0.5

First half vs Second half

	YDS/g	YPC	TD/g
Weeks 1-77g	47.1	4.0	0.6
Weeks 8+5g	55.8	4.2	0.4

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Pete Lembo

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2023

Starter

A locked-in starting job.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

49 · #120 of 310 RBs

Career stats

Season	Team
2023	Buffalo	148	609	4.1	6	--
2022	Buffalo	139	600	4.3	4	--
2021	Buffalo	88	440	5.0	3	--
2020	Buffalo	20	81	4.0	0	--
2019	Buffalo	18	96	5.3	1	--
Career		413	1,826	4.4	14	--

Season	Team
2023	Buffalo	29	220	7.6	1	--
2022	Buffalo	16	207	12.9	0	--
2021	Buffalo	23	232	10.1	1	--
2020	Buffalo	1	15	15.0	0	--
2019	Buffalo	5	40	8.0	0	--
Career		74	714	9.6	2	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 6 · 2023

W 37–13

vs Central Michigan

53 rush yds (11 car) · 2 TD

Dominant 24-point win at home against Central Michigan.

With C. Snyder — 232 yds · 0 TD · 0 INT · QBR 41.7 · 20 rush yds (6 car) · A. Venneri — 40 AVG · 1 IN 20 · 48 LONG

Signature plays

Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|

The plays that mattered most

fact

Week 7 · Bowling Green · 4&9 · Q3 · EPA +3.17CJ Ogbonna pass complete to Ron Cook Jr. for 15 yds to the BGSU 24 for a 1ST down
Week 4 · Louisiana · 3&4 · Q4 · EPA +3.07Cole Snyder pass complete to Ron Cook Jr. for 25 yds to the UL 34 for a 1ST down
Week 10 · Toledo · 2&8 · Q3 · EPA +3.01Ron Cook Jr. run for 36 yds to the TOL 25 for a 1ST down
Week 10 · Toledo · 3&5 · Q2 · EPA +2.93Cole Snyder pass complete to Ron Cook Jr. for 21 yds to the 50 yard line for a 1ST down
Week 11 · Ohio · 4&5 · Q4 · EPA +2.87Cole Snyder pass complete to Ron Cook Jr. for 11 yds to the BUFF 47 for a 1ST down
Week 4 · Louisiana · 2&9 · Q3 · EPA +2.78Ron Cook Jr. run for 12 yds for a TD Louisiana Penalty, Horse Collar Tackle (Tyree Skipper) to the UL 0 (R. Cook Jr. Run For Two-point Conversion)
Week 13 · Eastern Michigan · 3&1 · Q3 · EPA +2.50Ron Cook Jr. 6 Yd Run (Cole Snyder Pass to Cameron Ball for Two-Point Conversion)
Week 8 · Kent State · 3&1 · Q2 · EPA +2.45Ron Cook Jr. 1 Yd Run (Alex McNulty Kick)
Week 11 · Ohio · 2&10 · Q1 · EPA +2.41Ron Cook Jr. run for 19 yds to the BUFF 44 for a 1ST down
Week 4 · Louisiana · 2&4 · Q3 · EPA +2.33Ron Cook Jr. run for 4 yds for a TD (Two-Point Conversion failed)

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2023 season · 12 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	CAR	YDS	AVG	TD	LONG	Note
Wk 1	L 17-38@ Wisconsin	12	51	4.3	0	14
Wk 2	L 37-40vs Fordham	11	52	4.7	0	27
Wk 3	L 27-55vs Liberty	7	17	2.4	0	5
Wk 4	L 38-45@ Louisiana	11	48	4.4	2	12
Wk 5	W 13-10@ Akron	17	62	3.6	0	14
Wk 6	W 37-13vs Central Michigan	11	53	4.8	2	15
Wk 7	L 14-24vs Bowling Green	12	47	3.9	0	9
Wk 8	W 24-6@ Kent State	9	42	4.7	1	32
Wk 10	L 13-31@ Toledo	17	97	5.7	0	36	Season-high 97 yds
Wk 11	L 10-20vs Ohio	16	48	3.0	0	19
Wk 12	L 10-23@ Miami (OH)	15	49	3.3	0	8
Wk 13	L 11-24vs Eastern Michigan	10	43	4.3	1	11
Total		148	609	4.1	6	36