The Ohio State football program is still pursuing several high-profile recruits in the 2026 class. A few of them were performing at Rivals camp in Indianapolis on Tuesday, including five-star recruit Derrek Cooper. Cooper is listed as a five-star athlete, playing well at both safety and running back.
Cooper is someone who can play both positions at a high level. Right now, he is being recruited by Ohio State as a running back, mainly by Carlos Locklyn. He would certainly be a great addition to the 2026 recruiting class, especially if the Buckeyes miss out on Savion Hiter.
Cooper wasn't just hanging out in Indy; he was performing at an extremely high level. In fact, he was named the MVP of the running backs. What's even better is the fact that Cooper did all of that work in Ohio State cleats, sending a clear message to the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Five-star recruit Derrek Cooper wore Ohio State football cleats at Rivals camp
Having him perform well in Ohio State cleats has to be a good sign for them. He also announced that he will be making his collegiate decision on July 12th, so Ohio State will have about three weeks to impress him. Right now, he's still considered a Miami lean.
Ohio State has proven that it can recruit running backs under Locklyn in his two years as the running backs coach with the Buckeyes. Adding Cooper would be the highest-rated recruit that the Buckeyes have added at the position since 2021, when they were able to add TreVeyon Henderson.
Ohio State wants to be able to use its NIL budget well. Miami has shown in the past that they are willing to throw as much money as possible into the football program, having already given a ton of money to tackle Jackson Cantwell.
Ryan Day has to hope that money isn't the most important thing to Cooper. Miami isn't the only school that is still in the running for Cooper, either. He is also choosing between Florida, State, Georgia, and Alabama. It won't be easy to get a commitment from him.