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The Alabama Crimson Tide has a rich history when it comes to the RB position.
Some of the best backs in the NFL right now like Derrick Henry and Jahmyr Gibbs made their names in Tuscaloosa and carried it over to the NFL.
And now, the Tide have locked in an official visit with a player who could be next in line...
Derrick Cooper to visit Alabama on June 6th
Chaminade-Madonna running back Derrek Cooper had his coming out party at the Under Armour Next camp in Miami a year ago. He had a few offers entering that event. Cooper was a Top Performer for On3, he has had national offers since and the No. 30 prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking has official visits locked in with Auburn (May 16), Miami (May 30), Alabama (June 6), Georgia (June 13), Penn State (June 17) and Ohio State (June 20).
- Chad Simmons, On3
Cooper may be a RB, but he shows a savvy route-running ability especially for someone who is still in high school. With a good build before he ever walks into a college strength, conditioning, and nutrition program, Cooper has a shot to be a very special talent at the next level.
Playing and winning state championships in a national hotbed, Cooper has dominated against some of the best competition that high school football has to offer during his time at Chaminade-Madonna.
“It is an all-around great program," Cooper told On3 in regard to the University of Alabama. "I like the staff, they have developed a lot of backs and they put a lot of guys in the league.”
Alabama currently ranks 11th in On3's 2026 college football recruiting class rankings, with the chance to make up a lot of ground they can land a back and overall player the caliber of Cooper.
More must-reads:
- How ESPN plans to honor Lee Corso before final 'College GameDay'
- Archie Manning drops bombshell prediction on Texas QB grandson
- The '2024-25 NFL passing-yard leaders' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
BYU Football 2025 Schedule Prediction
BYU Football is back in 24 days when they start their season against Portland State. This team returns plenty of starters to make a run like last season and fight for the Big 12 championship game. The offense will see some changes at quarterback with the departure of Jake Retzlaff, and any of these new faces will be able to suit this BYU team well. The coaches still don’t have a decision on who will be the starter, but the race is tight, and anyone could fill this role. As many know, the defense has stayed solid and has no questions about who will make plays this year for them. 2025 Record: 10-2 Portland State Date, Time, TV: Saturday, August 31st at 6 pm MST on ESPN+ 2024 Record: 3-8 Last Time Played: 2017, and BYU won 20-6 Prediction: Win Stanford Date, Time, TV: Saturday, September 6th at 8:15 pm MST on ESPN 2024 Record: 3-9 Last Time Played: 2022, and BYU won 35-26 Prediction: Win East Carolina Date, Time, TV: Saturday, September 20th TBA 2024 Record: 8-5 Last Time Played: 2022, and ECU won 27-24 Prediction: Win Colorado Date, Time, TV: Saturday, September 27th at 8:15 pm MST on ESPN 2024 Record: 9-4 Last Time Played: 2024 and BYU won 36-14 Prediction: Win West Virginia Date, Time, TV: Friday, October 3rd at 8:30 pm on ESPN 2024 Record: 6-7 Last Time Played: 2023 and West Virginia 37-7 Prediction: Loss Arizona Date, Time, TV: Saturday, October 11th TBA 2024 Record: 4-8 Last Time Played: 2024 and BYU won 41-19 Prediction: Win Utah Date, Time, TV: Saturday, October 18th TBA 2024 Record: 5-7 Last Time Played: 2024 and BYU won 22-21 Prediction: Win Iowa State Date, Time, TV: Saturday, October 25th TBA 2024 Record: 11-3 Last Time Played: 2023, and Iowa State won 45-13 Prediction: Win Texas Tech Date, Time, TV: Saturday, November 8th TBA 2024 Record: 8-5 Last Time Played: 2023, and BYU won 27-14 Prediction: Loss TCU Date, Time, TV: Saturday, November 15th TBA 2024 Record: 9-4 Last Time Played: 2023, and TCU won 44-11 Prediction: Win Cincinnati Date, Time, TV: Saturday, November 22nd TBA 2024 Record: 5-7 Last Time Played: 2023, and BYU won 35-27 Prediction: Win UCF Date, Time, TV: Saturday, November 29th TBA 2024 Record: 4-8 Last Time Played: 2024 and BYU won 37-24 Prediction: Win
OPINION: Which players need to take the biggest step for Alabama from year 1 to year 2?
The Lakers could have another undrafted gem on their hands
In a summer dominated by LeBron James and Luka Doncic headlines, the Los Angeles Lakers may have quietly struck gold once again in the UDFA market, this time with former Villanova standout Eric Dixon. After initially agreeing to a two-way contract following the 2024–25 NBA Draft, Dixon’s path to the professional ranks was temporarily delayed due to injury, forcing him to miss Summer League. The Lakers, however, remained invested in the 24-year-old forward, eventually signing him to an Exhibit 10 deal, a move that keeps him in the pipeline and positions him as a potential breakout candidate through the G League. Dixon brings one of the most decorated resumes in college basketball. The 6-foot-8, 255-pound forward led all Division I scorers last season, averaging 23.3 points per game while shooting an impressive 40.7% from beyond the arc on 7.2 attempts per contest, a remarkable transformation for a player once seen as a traditional low-post presence. He concluded his five-year career at Villanova as the school’s all-time leading scorer, finishing with 2,314 points and etching his name into Big East history. While concerns around his age and lateral quickness may have contributed to him being passed over in the draft, Dixon’s refined skill set and ability to stretch the floor make him a strong fit in today’s NBA. He delivered in big moments throughout the season, including a 38-point outburst against Maryland on Nov. 11, and consistently carried the offensive load for the Wildcats. With his Exhibit 10 deal, Dixon is expected to begin the season with the South Bay Lakers, where he’ll aim to prove he’s healthy and ready to make an immediate impact. If he performs as expected, a return to a two-way contract, and possibly NBA minutes, could be on the horizon. The Lakers have developed a reputation for identifying and nurturing overlooked talent, with Austin Reaves and Alex Caruso emerging as prime examples. Dixon, with his offensive versatility and physical readiness, could be next in line. In a loaded Western Conference, unearthing low-cost contributors is more important than ever. Dixon might just be the next hidden gem to emerge from the Lakers’ development pipeline.
Carlos Alcaraz Sends Huge Warning to the Rest of the Tour Regarding his Rivalry with Jannik Sinner
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are set to compete in their first event after the Wimbledon final last month, where Sinner dethroned the two time-defending champion Alcaraz. While Sinner outplayed Alcaraz on his best surface, it’s now time to see if the Spaniard can outplay him on the Italian’s beloved hard court. After both withdrew from the Masters 1000 tournament in Toronto, they will commence their North American hard-court swing with the Cincinnati Open. Sinner enters the tournament as the defending champion, while Alcaraz enters as the second seed with just 10 points to defend. Alcaraz has reached the final of the Cincinnati Open once back in 2023, where he lost to Novak Djokovic in straight sets. Clocking 3 hours and 49 minutes, this marked the longest best-of-three-sets match at an ATP Tour final and the longest match in the tournament’s history. Speaking at the press conference ahead of his Cincinnati campaign, Alcaraz touched upon his rivalry with Sinner. Both of us have achieved very important things in a very short time, and I am very happy to see the rivalry we are building. I think we have years ahead to continue doing so. Let’s allow people to talk about us; I don’t think too much about it, we’ll see how far we go. Alcaraz has an 8-5 head-to-head record over Sinner, with a 5-2 record over the Italian ace on hard court. Their rivalry has opened a new chapter in the post-Big 3 era in tennis, and redefined the sport. The youngsters dominated the ATP tour, with the duopoly claiming the last seven Grand Slam titles. Moreover, Sinner is only 23 and Alcaraz, 22. Beyond their fierce on-court battles, they’re also known for their respectful and friendly attitude towards each other off the court. Carlos Alcaraz on losing the Wimbledon final Furthermore, at the press conference, Carlos Alcaraz was also asked about how he felt losing a Grand Slam final for the first time. Prior to the Wimbledon final, he had won all five of the Grand Slam finals he had been a part of. At Wimbledon this year, Alcaraz was aiming for a unique feat. He was looking to complete an elusive three peat and a second Channel Slam. However, things turned out differently this time. Losing a Grand Slam final was a new situation for me, but one must be prepared for that. Obviously, I didn’t want it to happen ever, but I left the court proud and happy, smiling at the thought that at some point it had to happen because it has happened to all the tennis players in history. It took me a few hours to overcome the defeat, knowing that I have many things to improve. I could only feel grateful for having lived a Wimbledon final; I left proud of what I did. Despite losing the match Alcaraz was happy and cheerfully congratulated Jannik Sinner on the victory. It was a shift from what was seen at the Paris Olympics final last year, where Alcaraz become very emotional and cried upon losing the final. This year the Spaniard has shown much maturity on how he looks at defeat. In Cincinnati, Sinner will face either Daniel Elahi Galan or Vit Kopriva in his opening round, while Alcaraz will face Mattia Bellucci or Damir Dzumhur in his opening round. Further ahead, Sinner will also be looking to defend his US Open title, becoming the second person this century after Roger Federer to do so. Federer won five consecutive US Open titles from 2004 to 2008.
Five NBA coaches starting 2025-26 season on hot seat
When an NBA team is struggling, it can change the players or the coach. With free agency all but done, rosters are set — so it's the men on the sidelines who are most vulnerable. Here are five NBA coaches who will start the season on the hot seat. 1. Willie Green, New Orleans Pelicans Green is in a precarious position entering his fifth season with the Pelicans. His team took on future salary to add Jordan Poole from the Washington Wizards in June, a win-now move, but also added two lottery picks in Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen. They traded next year's first-round pick to get Queen, so they expect to make the playoffs. Still, the team's success depends on the health of Zion Williamson, who has missed a combined 199 games over the last four seasons. Green's short leash is partly because his new bosses, Joe Dumars and Troy Weaver, didn't hire him. With Queen already injured, Green will be an easy scapegoat if the Pelicans struggle to start the season. 2. Nick Nurse, Philadelphia 76ers Nurse is in his third season with the 76ers, where he had a first-round loss in 2024 and a miserable 24-58 record last season. Now the Sixers are hoping for better health for the entire roster, from big man Joel Embiid to last summer's big free-agent signing, Paul George, as well as a return for second-year guard Jared McCain. But there's no reason to expect Embiid and George to improve their health when they're a year older and have had more surgeries. With Embiid, George and Tyrese Maxey all on long-term maximum contracts, Philly doesn't have a lot of simple fixes — except on the sidelines. 3. J.J. Redick, Los Angeles Lakers The Lakers were a very different team when they hired J.J. Redick to be their head coach, fresh off his gig hosting a podcast with their franchise player, LeBron James. Now, James has only one year left on his contract, while Luka Doncic signed a maximum extension. Redick led the Lakers to the third-best record in the Western Conference, but made questionable moves in the playoffs, like using only five players in the second half of a loss. His job security depends on whether Doncic likes playing for him. If not, the team that fired Frank Vogel two years after he won a title and axed Darvin Ham after two seasons won't hesitate to cut ties with Redick. 4. David Adelman, Denver Nuggets Adelman performed remarkably after taking over the Nuggets with three games to go in the regular season. He led Denver to a seven-game victory in the first round before falling to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the next round. The Nuggets gave him the permanent job in May. The shadow looming over Denver is that three-time MVP Nikola Jokic declined an extension this summer. If the Nuggets think keeping Adelman will help them re-sign Jokic next summer, he's in good shape. If not, Michael Malone can tell Adelman that Denver won't think twice about making a change. 5. Doc Rivers, Milwaukee Bucks The Bucks were forced to retool after Damian Lillard's Achilles tear, losing Brook Lopez and adding center Myles Turner. There's uncertainty about how the new team will do, or whether superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo wants to stay with the Bucks. With two first-round series losses as Bucks coach so far, Rivers could be done in Milwaukee, especially if his best player wants out, too.
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