Ohio State Buckeyes' Prime Recruiting Target Discloses Huge News

The Ohio State Buckeyes always manage to be in the hunt for the very best recruits in the country, and that has not changed this offseason.

Ohio State has already bagged numerous commits from elite prospects in 2025, and the Buckeyes may be closing in on another upper echelon piece within the next couple of weeks.

Five-star running back Derrek Cooper has revealed that he will be announcing his commitment on July 12 and will be choosing between Ohio State, Alabama, Georgia, Miami, Florida State and Texas. Talk about a who's who of schools.

Cooper — a class of 2026 talent — is the 30th-ranked player in the country and the second-ranked player in the state of Florida, via 247 Sports' composite rankings.

The Chaminade-Madonna Preparatory School product originally committed to Georgia last June, but decommitted after only a few days. The Bulldogs are still in the running for his services, but it seems hard to imagine Cooper returning to Athens after already reopening his recruitment.

Because Cooper is from Hollywood, Fl., Florida State and Miami could be viewed as the favorites to land the superstar playmaker due to proximity, but we have seen more than enough five-star prospects abandon their home state for top schools before.

Ohio State just boasted what was probably the best backfield in the nation this past season, featuring a duo of Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson, both of whom were selected in the second round of the NFL Draft back in April.

We'll see if the Buckeyes can continue to field elite running back rooms moving forward. Based on their history, it seems safe to say the trend will endure. But will Cooper be a part of it?