ESPN.com · Jul 21, 2025
No. 1 running back Derrek Cooper commits to Texas' 2026 class
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Days after landing No. 1 outside linebacker Tyler Atkinson, Texas secured its latest five-star addition Sunday when coveted rusher Derrek Cooper, ESPN's No. 1 running back in the 2026 class, announced his commitment to the Longhorns.
Cooper, a 6-foot-2, 205-pound recruit from Chaminade-Madonna Preparatory School in Hollywood, Florida, is the seventh-ranked prospect in the 2026 ESPN 300. Following an unofficial trip to Texas in April, Cooper did not make an official visit to the program before choosing the Longhorns over finalists Florida State, Georgia, Miami and Ohio State in a ceremony Sunday night.