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Texas Longhorns land No. 2 running back prospect Derrek Cooper

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian on the sidelines (2024)
Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian on the sidelines (2024)Tim Warner/Getty Images/AFP

The Texas Longhorns continued to boost their stellar 2026 class after the nation's No. 2 running back prospect Derrek Cooper officially committed on Sunday.

Cooper, the nation's 40th-ranked overall prospect, will be joining a Texas Longhorns team that currently has one of the top 2026 recruitment classes.

"Coach Scott is a really good coach; he’s done a lot of great development with the guys," Cooper said in regards to Texas running back coach Chad Scott.

“I just wanted to make sure that I was right on my decision and speak on it with my family.”

In 2024, Cooper rushed 124 times for 905 yards and 13 TDs, helping his Chaminade-Madonna Prep squad to an eventual Florida 1A championship.

Cooper was also a member of his high school's track team during his Sophomore year (2023), specifically the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, and long jump.

Texas now has three of the eight prospects to come out of Florida, with the other two being five-star defensive lineman James Johnson and five-star quarterback Dia Bell.

The Longhorns also recently landed five-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson on the same day they swiped Johnson away from Georgia, lifting them to the No. 7 recruiting class for 2026.

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