Texas Longhorns Finalists for 2026 Five-Star Running Back

Last week brought the Texas Longhorns multiple key victories on the recruiting trail, and July 20 marks the opportunity for another.

Five-star running back Derrek Cooper, ESPN’s’ No. 1 ranked running back in the class of 2026, will choose between Texas, Florida State, Ohio State, Miami and Georgia. 

He hails from Hollywood, Florida, a city that lies just outside of Miami, and 247Sports’ crystal ball predictions anticipates that the Hurricanes will land the prospect. 

Cooper's NIL Offer

That being said, the Longhorns have picked up momentum with the recruit recently. On3’s Justin Wells revealed that Texas extended a “big” NIL offer to Cooper in hopes that he will set his sights on the Forty Acres. 

According to Wells, the gesture might’ve made a significant impact. 

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

Despite the fact that they lack a geographical advantage, Texas’ utilization of their resource could help sway his decision.

Earning Cooper’s commitment would solidify the comeback story of Texas’ 2026 class, which has jumped from No. 14 to No. 7 in the Rivals Industry Ranking Football Team Recruiting Rankings within the past week.

This forward movement has been fueled by five-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson and five-star defensive lineman James “JJ” Johnson committing to Texas within a few hours of each other on July 15. Johnson had been previously committed to Georgia, so the commitment to play for the Longhorns was a flip.

Interestingly enough, Cooper spent five days committed to the Bulldogs in 2024, but he reopened his recruitment after that and has seriously considered other programs too.

Should he choose Georgia as his landing spot, the Sunshine State native would add new energy to their already strong 2026 recruiting class, which Rivals currently ranks as the No. 2 overall class in the nation. However, should he select Texas instead, he could help them as they minimize the gap between themselves and the Bulldogs in the rankings.

The Longhorns finished the 2025 recruiting cycle with the country’s No. 1 ranked class, and they look to solidify another top 10 finish in 2026.

Cooper would be the fifth five-star addition to their class, since they have already earned commitments from Atkinson, Johnson, edge rusher Richard Wesley and quarterback Dia Bell.

He will announce his decision at 7 p.m. ET on July 20, with just one of his five finalists coming out on top.