Texas Longhorns Favorites To Land Five-Star Running Back

The Texas Longhorns are coming off having the No. 1 recruiting class in 2025 and are hoping to make it two straight years at the top once the 2026 cycle is done.

Despite hitting a few bumps in the road early on in July, Steve Sarkisian and his staff have rebounded well and are hoping to add one of the nation's top running backs from the 2026 recruiting cycle to their incoming arsenal.

Hoping to add to their No. 7-ranked recruiting class, On3 has predicted the Longhorns to add the No. 2-ranked running back, Derrek Cooper.

Adding To An Elite Backfield

Cooper, who will announce his commitment at 7 p.m. ET on July 20th, after narrowing his list down to five schools.

The Florida native will choose between Florida State, Miami, Ohio State, Georgia and Texas.

This will be Cooper's second time being committed, having originally committing to the Georgia Bulldogs for just five days in 2024, before opting to reopen his recruitment.

247Sports originally had a crystal ball for Miami to land the 37th ranked player in the country, but after reports of the Longhorns approaching Cooper with a lucrative NIL deal, the crystal ball has shifted to the running back committing to the Forty Acres. This comes days after Sarkisian said at SEC Media Days they take their time evaluating players before throwing them an NIL deal.

According to Justin Wells of On3,tThe Longhorns approached the 2026 recruit with an NIL deal hoping to add him to their backfield, and said:

"They came with a big offer and a big opportunity to play early in Austin, and I think Cooper is strongly considering it."

For the Longhorns, this would be a massive addition for their class, as he would be paired with the number one ranked quarterback in the cycle according to Rivals, Dia Bell. It would also serve as another blow to Georgia as the two teams continue battling back and forth for some of the top players left available in the 2026 class.

The Longhorns are currently on a streak against the Bulldogs, securing a commitment from Georgia native Tyler Atkinson, and getting James Johnson to flip his commitment from the Bulldogs to Texas.

While currently at seventh in recruiting rankings, Cooper would bolster the Loonghorns chances at finishing with back to back top recruiting classes.

Derrek Cooper will announce his commitment at 7 p.m. ET on July 20.