Latest news with #DerrekCooper
Yahoo
2 days ago
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- Yahoo
SEC Powerhouse is ‘Buzzing' for Nation's No. 1 RB
SEC Powerhouse is 'Buzzing' for Nation's No. 1 RB originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Steve Sarkisian and the Texas Longhorns are putting together an impressive Class of 2026 recruiting haul. That group is currently missing a running back, however, and they're hoping Derrek Cooper, Rivals' No. 1 player at his position, can fill that void. Inside Texas' Justin Wells spoke to Rivals' Josh Newberg on Monday to give an update on Cooper's interest in Sarkisian's program, which is currently on fire on the recruiting trail. 'The Texas buzz is real,' Wells said. 'They have prioritized this guy. They came with a big offer and a big opportunity to play early in Austin. I think Cooper is strongly considering it.' Wells said Cooper's recruitment picked up in Austin in the middle of last month, shortly after the Longhorns' coaching staff learned KJ Edwards was probably headed to Texas A&M. 'Derrek Cooper has always been near the top of the board of most college programs in the country,' Wells said. 'But Texas, you know, they had a handful of guys that they were in on.' Wells added that having a new running backs coach, Chad Scott, 'kind of muddied the waters a little bit with the guys that Tashard Choice had built in with.' Scott, who joined Sarkisian's staff in February after serving as West Virginia's offensive coordinator and running backs coach, convinced Cooper to visit Texas in April. '(Cooper) absolutely loved it, enough so that at the end of his official visits in June, he decided he wanted to cancel his announcement and he wanted to see Texas a little bit more closely,' Wells said. According to 247Sports, Cooper rushed for 905 yards and 13 touchdowns on 124 carries as a junior for Chaminade-Madonna Prep (Fla.) last season. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 15, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
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Texas Dealt Concerning Update on Nation's No. 1 RB
Texas Dealt Concerning Update on Nation's No. 1 RB originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Texas Longhorns added another jewel to their 2026 recruiting class last month when they earned Derrek Cooper's commitment. He has eyes elsewhere, however, as he plans to take at least one visit to another school in the coming months. 'Elite Texas RB commit Derrek Cooper plans to visit Miami on August 31, and tells @stephenwagOn3 that he could see a few other schools this season, too,' Rivals' X account posted Saturday. ESPN ranks Cooper as the No. 1 tailback in his class, ahead of Savion Hiter (No. 2) and Alabama Crimson Tide pledge Ezavier Crowell (No. 3). Cooper chose Steve Sarkisian's program after the staff compared his abilities and build to former Longhorns star Bijan Robinson. Cooper's other finalists were the Florida State Seminoles, Georgia Bulldogs, Miami Hurricanes and Ohio State Buckeyes. Mario Cristobal will do his best to try to change Cooper's mind when he visits Coral Gables later this month. Offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell, 247Sports' No. 2 player in the 2026 class, decided to commit to the Hurricanes in May. 'As a ball carrier, runs with plenty of tempo and energy as he hits the hole with urgency,' 247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins wrote in a scouting report. 'Always seems to be spiraling forward with his 6-foot-1, 205-pound frame and will use his core power to bounce off tacklers in tight quarters.' On 124 carries last season, Cooper ran for 905 yards and 13 touchdowns at Chaminade-Madonna (Fla.). He was named as a second-team MaxPreps Junior All-American for his story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Nation's No. 2 RB for 2026 Commits to SEC Powerhouse
Nation's No. 2 RB for 2026 Commits to SEC Powerhouse originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Texas Longhorns landed a significant member to its 2026 recruiting class on Sunday. Five-star running back/athlete Derrek Cooper announced his commitment to Texas via social media. The Chaminade-Madonna product (Hollywood, FL) chose the Longhorns over Ohio State, Georgia, Miami, and Florida State. Cooper is ranked the No. 2 athlete in the nation and No. 2 overall prospect in Florida for the 2026 recruiting class, according to 247Sports. He becomes the fifth-highest ranked player in Texas' class and the No. 2 offensive recruit behind only five-star quarterback Dia Bell. The Longhorns now hold verbal commitments from 21 players for the 2026 cycle. Cooper's addition bumped Texas' class to No. 5 overall in the country per 247Sports. Aside from Bell, the group is headlined by several key defensive recruits in five-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson, five-star cornerback/athlete Jermaine Bishop, four-star edge Richard Wesley, and four-star defensive lineman Vodney Cleveland. Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian landed the No. 1 overall recruiting class in 2025 and is on pace to land a top-five class for this cycle. The last time Texas did not land a top-five class was in 2021, the year Sarkisian was hired. Player development under Sarkisian's staff is at an all-time high and seems to be a primary reason recruits are flocking to story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 20, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Sport
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Ohio State Gets Good News on Coveted Star Running Back
Ohio State Gets Good News on Coveted Star Running Back originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Different college football programs appear to be getting very positive signs from one of the top 2026 running backs on the recruiting trail. One of those is the Ohio State Buckeyes. Advertisement On3's Steve Wiltfong reported Sunday that Derrek Cooper's family had a terrific weekend visit with the Buckeyes. 'Everything was amazing in Ohio,' Cooper's mother Tonya Brinson told Wiltfong. The recruiting insider described Cooper as "one of the headliners" at the Ohio State campus over the weekend. Cooper has visited the Buckeyes multiple times during his recruitment process. The Buckeyes have three-star running back Favour Akih committed in the 2026 class, but the program is still trying to land another pledge from a top tier back. Advertisement Ohio State Buckeyes football head coach Ryan Day© Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Wiltfong suggested the Miami Hurricanes, Georgia Bulldogs, Auburn Tigers and Alabama Crimson Tide are also pushing for Cooper. On3's Chad Simmons wrote on June 13 that the Bulldogs were confident where they stand in the recruitment of the top running back. Simmons, though, also wrote Cooper's mother would play "a significant part" in his college decision. So, it's not at all a bad thing that she had a great time at Ohio State. The 247Sports Composite rankings have Cooper rated as the No. 2 Florida recruit in the 2026 class. The recruiting rankings from ESPN and Rivals have him as the No. 1 running back in the class. Advertisement The running back is also a consensus top 100 recruit for 2026. On the 247Sports Composite rankings, Cooper is rated as the No. 30 overall prospect. Related: Ohio State Pushes to Land 'Dream Trifecta' in Heated Battle This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 23, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
After huge Sunday night commitment, Texas rises to No. 4 in team recruiting rankings
The Texas Longhorns had a great weekend. Not only did former Longhorn Scottie Scheffler win the British Open, but UT got a massive five-star commitment. Derrek Cooper, the No. 2 running back in the 2026 class, committed to Texas on Sunday evening. The pledge has skyrocketed the Horns up the recruiting rankings to No. 4 overall. Cooper is now the fourth highest ranked commitment in Texas's 2026 class, behind quarterback Dia Bell, linebacker Tyler Atkinson, and EDGE Richard Wesley. Things looked kind of dark for Texas recruiting in early July. The high-profile commitment of five-star offensive tackle Felix Ojo to Texas Tech stung. The Horns lost nine recruiting battles in a row after Wesley committed in late June. But things turned around 10 days ago with the commitment of four-star CB Samari Matthews. Texas beat out South Carolina, Miami and Florida State. Four days later, Atkinson committed to UT over Georgia, Clemson, and Oregon. A day later, Steve Sarkisian was able to flip five-star Georgia commit James Johnson. The flurry of commitments has lifted Texas to No. 6 in the team recruiting rankings. Cooper has given the overall class another boost to No. 4. UT also has the second most five-star commits of anyone in the nation. Sark has pledges from the No. 1 QB, No. 1 linebacker, No. 1 defensive lineman, No. 2 running back and No. 3 edge rusher. Any worries over the quality of this recruiting class has been put to rest. Many of the Texas 2026 class have also had a great summer. Bell, Arch Manning's probable heir apparent, was named the MVP of the exclusive Elite 11 QB event. His performance immediately was reflected in the rankings, as he was boosted to the No. 1 QB recruit in the country. Wesley was dominant at the Rivals Five-Star Challenge. The Longhorns had the No. 1 recruiting class in 2025. And while Sark and the recruiting team at Texas isn't done yet, the past 10 days have set UT on the path to another top five class and it may end up win another recruiting title before the cycle is done. Follow us on X/Twitter at @LonghornsWire. This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Texas rises to No. 4 in team recruiting rankings after big commitment
