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Notre Dame looking to make a late push for five-star RB as Ja’Juan Seider continues to make his recruiting presence known

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Ryan Roberts | Last updated Apr 22, 2025 3:57 PM ET

It’s hard not to get really excited about the present, and future of the running back position for Notre Dame. For the first time in what feels like forever, the Fighting Irish bring back arguably the best runner in all of college football with Jeremiyah Love. Behind Love, Jadarian Price, Aneyas Williams, Kedren Young, and Nolan James is an embarrassment of riches.

New running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider walked into an incredibly talented room when he came over from Penn State. So far in the 2026 recruiting class, Coach Seider has made a lot of impact, quickly making waves with players like Javian Osborne. The Irish staff is interested in potentially beginning in two running backs in the class.

It’s a deep and talented board, but it just got even deeper this week. Notre Dame extended an offer to Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna star Derrek Cooper, a player who has been recruited by some on defense, and others as a running back. It’s a later offer, which leaves a question about whether Notre Dame can make an impact but they will certainly try.

University of Notre Dame offered!! @coachseider @Marcus_Freeman1 @GinoGuidugli @MikeDenbrock @JohnGarcia_Jr @RivalsFriedman @adamgorney @ChadSimmons_ @NotreDame247 pic.twitter.com/vhmPzDIn6F
— Derrek Cooper (@DerrekCooper80) April 22, 2025

Cooper is considered to be an elite level athlete in the 2026 recruiting class. He currently ranks as a five-star on the 247Sports Composite ranking. On that ranking, Cooper currently ranks as the No. 28 overall player, No. 2 athlete, and No. 2 player in the state of Florida. That is an area that has consistently put out a ton of talent.

If you don’t trust recruiting rankings, go take a look at Cooper’s offer list. Some of the best programs who have offered Cooper so far include the Fighting Irish, Georgia, Ohio State, Alabama, Texas, Oregon, LSU, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Penn State, Miami, Florida, Florida State, Auburn, and Texas A&M among many others.

Cooper is a dynamic athlete that does a little bit of everything for Chaminade-Madonna. The 6-1, 205-pound athlete is a star running back for the team, rushing for 905 yards and 13 touchdowns, as well as averaging 7.3 yards per carry. He also hauled in another nine receptions for 156 yards and one more score.

On defense, Cooper is also a star that can do things on the second and third level. In 15 games as a junior, Cooper was able to collect 46 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and four sacks. He also managed to haul in an interception, four pass breakups, two forced fumbles, three fumble receivers, and two blocked punts.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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