Two days after it was christened as the favorite in the SEC in the league’s preseason poll, Texas football showed yet again that its future is bright.
The Longhorns landed a commitment on July 20 from five-star running back Derrek Cooper, a top-30 recruit in the class of 2026.
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The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Cooper is ranked as the No. 29 player nationally in the class, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings.
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The Hollywood, Florida native chose Texas over Miami, Georgia, Florida State and Ohio State, his other finalists.
As a junior last season at Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory School in Florida, Cooper rushed for 905 yards and 13 touchdowns on 124 carries. He helped guide his team to a Florida Class 1A championship.
His commitment came five days after coach Steve Sarkisian’s program scored a pledge from five-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson and flipped four-star linebacker James Johnson from Georgia.
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Cooper becomes the third five-star recruit and ninth top-100 prospect in Texas’ 2026 class, according to 247’s rankings. The Longhorns’ haul is ranked fifth among FBS programs, behind only, in order, USC, Georgia, Texas A&M and Notre Dame.
In each of the past four full recruiting cycles, Texas has finished no lower than sixth in the national recruiting rankings, a run headlined by its No. 1 class in 2025.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Texas lands commitment from 5-star running back Derrek Cooper
