Where did Cooper Rush go to college? Revisiting Central Michigan stats and more

With the announcement that quarterback Dak Prescott will undergo season-ending hamstring surgery, Cooper Rush will lead the Cowboys offense for at least another week and possibly the rest of the season.

Although Rush has previously filled in for an injured Prescott, this starting stint has the potential to be his most important playing time yet.

Let’s take a look back at the signal caller’s journey to the Cowboys, starting in college.

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Where did Cooper Rush go to college?

Rush was a three-star quarterback prospect from the class of 2012. He was the No. 61 ranked quarterback prospect out of Lansing, Michigan and the 35th overall ranked prospect out of the state. He signed with Central Michigan, the only school that offered him.

By Sports illustratedabout his recruitment by CMU:

Still, after a nearly fifty-year coaching career that included colleges, the NFL and the USFL, Morris Watts was drawn to Rush’s accuracy, his presence in the pocket and his passion. After watching Rush play through a rainstorm and still spiral 40 to 50 yards down the field, Central Michigan’s offensive coordinator was convinced. No one else was – Rush attended camps in Bowling Green, Miami (Ohio) and Toledo without much support – so a commitment soon followed.

When Rush signed with the Chippewas, head coach Dan Enos was in his third season at CMU.

Rush redshirted in 2012 and saw the field early during the 2013 Chippewas season. Early in the year, CMU starting quarterback Cody Kater suffered a broken collarbone early in the Chippewas’ Week 1 game at Michigan. His backup, Alex Niznak, struggled in the game, allowing Rush to start for CMU’s Week 2 game against New Hampshire.

From there, Rush began the remainder of his Chippewas career from 2013-2016. The Chippewas hovered around 6-6 and 7-6 during those seasons, finishing 26-25 during his four years at CMU. He posted back-to-back 7-6 finishes in 2014 and 2015. He played two seasons for Coach Enos and the last two for coach John Bonamego.

Rush holds the Chippewas’ record for passing yards in a season with 3,848, passing yards in a single game (493), which still stands. He also still holds the record for passing touchdowns in a single game (7) and is second in all-time passing yards (12,894) and touchdowns (90). He follows quarterback Dan LeFevour, who played at CMU from 2006 to 2009. Rush earned a spot on the second-team All-MAC team in 2015 and the third-team All-MAC team in 2016.

Cooper Rush college statistics

Here’s a look at Rush’s career stats at Central Michigan:

Following his CMU career, Rush entered the 2017 NFL Draft. He was part of a draft class that included Patrick Mahomes, Deshaun Watson, Mitchell Trubisky and Josh Dobbs.

Although Rush was not drafted, he signed with the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent. That season, Prescott was entering only his second year as Dallas’ starter.

Upon Rush’s arrival, he joined a quarterback room with Cowboys backup Kellen Moore, but in 2018 Rush was Dallas’ No. 2 quarterback right behind Prescott.

Due to several Prescott injuries, Rush has seen some playing time in recent years. Following Prescott’s season-ending ankle injury in 2022, Rush played nine games for the Cowboys during Dallas’ 13-6 season. He played in twelve games over the past two seasons.

Rush is in the final year of his two-year, $5 million contract with Dallas. We’ll see how he does as Dallas’ starting quarterback the rest of the season.