Texas chasing another NFL, All-Pro pedigree prospect in the 2027 class – hosting this fall

Liberty Christian (Tex.) linebacker Cooper Witten is ranked as the No. 1 overall linebacker prospect in the country, per Rivals. As he prepares for his junior season, he is starting to plan fall visits. One he will for sure be taking is checking out his father’s alma mater, Tennessee, for the Georgia game.

He spoke with Rivals’ Steve Wiltfong about his fall itinerary.

“I am going to get to more but haven’t decided what games yet,” Witten said.

His father is former All-SEC and Walter Payton Man of the Year Award winner Jason Witten. The former Vol superstar and Cowboys’ fan favorite is ushering his son along in the early stages of his recruitment. But, this decision will be his son’s and his son’s only. And the younger Witten knows what he’s looking for.

“Just somewhere I’m going to be developed as a player and a person as well. Reach my full potential,” Witten told Rivals earlier this summer. “Somewhere the culture is uplifting and I feel comfortable in the locker room there.”

Cooper Witten’s father is also the head coach of Liberty Christian. He has been a big part of his son navigating the recruiting process.

Rivals’ Austin Price recently talked about the unique approach Tennessee is taking to recruit the legacy.

"Where does Tennessee stand? I think Tennessee is obviously right there at or near the top," said Price when asked about Cooper's recruitment. "I think he's very conscious to really push the, 'Don't just assume I'm going to Tennessee because my dad went there'. Now, I hear that a lot from legacy kids, and rightfully so. They're their own person. They have to be treated as such. Just because dad went there doesn't mean they're automatically going to go there.

"But Tennessee is not recruiting him like that. Tennessee's recruiting him as if his name is Cooper Smit h or Cooper Johnson – just a very generic name, not Witten."

Texas’ approach will be different. The Longhorns staff will merely just be recruiting Cooper as the top-ranked linebacker in the class and one of the best 2027 recruits in the Lone Star State.

Head coach Steve Sarkisian and his staff have Witten as the top linebacker on the board for next year’s cycle. And sources have told Rivals’ Justin Wells “it’s not a guarantee he attends Tennessee, Jason’s alma mater”.