As five-star prospect Derrek Cooper took off one shirt to reveal another, it became clear that the running back from Hollywood, Florida, was committing to the University of Texas.
Cooper is ESPN’s No. 1-ranked running back and the 29th nationally ranked player according to the 247 Sports composite rankings. He chose the Longhorns over teams like the Georgia Bulldogs, Miami Hurricanes and the Ohio State Buckeyes.
“They’re known as RB-U. They’ve had a lot of backs in the league. Five running backs in three years,” Cooper said during his commitment. “Coach Scott, he’s a great dude, great coach, and I would like to learn from him. Being a running back under his presence, I feel like I’m going to get to the next level.”
This came days after Texas secured five-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson from Georgia and flipped defensive lineman James “JJ” Johnson from the Georgia Bulldogs later that same day. Texas’ influence on recruits in the South has played a large factor in having a top-five class every year since 2022.
Cooper becomes Texas’ fifth top-50 recruit, while moving Texas up in the rankings to have the fifth-ranked recruiting class in the nation.
