By Mark Pszonak
With the commitment date of one of the top Class of 2026 running backs in the country approaching, several of the elite programs in the country were anticipating his decision. But Derrek Cooper (Hollywood, FL) decided to throw a wrench into those plans last night.
I will no longer be committing July 12.
— Derrek Cooper (@DerrekCooper80) June 30, 2025
Cooper, 6-foot-1 and 200-pounds, had taken official visits to Auburn, Miami-Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Florida State and Ohio State, which was his last during the weekend of June 20th. Since then, the thought was that he was figuring out his future home in hopes of making a decision on July 12th. But now everything is in limbo.
The Canes and Bulldogs were thought to be the two favorites, with the Buckeyes and Tide making a late push. Now, depending on when his yet to be announced new decision date is, it gives each of these schools, and maybe a few others, an opportunity to get back into the game.
One interesting omission from his list of official visits was a school that made his list of top schools – Texas. Many in Austin are hoping that this delay will give the Longhorns and opportunity to take a visit to Austin later this summer or during the upcoming season.
It’s a guessing game to try and figure out how much longer Cooper’s recruiting process will drag on, but you can be sure none of the schools that are still being considered will back down.
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