No. 1 running back Derrek Cooper commits to Texas' 2026 class - ESPN

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.

Cooper's father told ESPN that the presence of Longhorns running back coach Chad Scott, who replaced former assistant Tashard Choice in February, and the all-purpose role Texas coach Steve Sarkisian laid out for Cooper in the program's offense were leading factors in his son's decision.

«They've talked about his skill set and compared his build to [former UT running back] Bijan Robinson,» Corey Cooper told ESPN. «They don't have a running back like Derrek right now. They feel like they can do a lot with him.»

Derrek Cooper is the fourth five-star pledge in the Longhorns' 2026 class and continues a summer recruiting tear for Sarkisian & Co., who have added 10 ESPN 300 commits since June 1.

Cooper's commitment comes days after Texas edged Georgia for the pledge of Atkinson — No. 14 in the 2026 ESPN 300 and the No. 1 prospect in the state of Georgia — then flipped four-star Bulldogs defensive line commit James Johnson (No. 123 overall) later in the day.

Cooper is the second-highest ranked of six top-100 recruits committed to Sarkisian's incoming class, joining Atkinson, fellow five-star pledges Dia Bell (No. 4) and Richard