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.
The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Cooper is ranked as the No. 29 player nationally in the class, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings.
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.
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.