The Ohio State football program is still hoping to land some elite 2026 recruits, despite the fact that they have had some trouble in recent weeks on the recruiting trail. Most of that disappointment has come on the defensive side of the ball, mostly on the defensive line.
One spot the Buckeyes usually recruit without any issues is the running back position. That running back spot is very important in Ohio State's offense, and Carlos Locklyn has done an excellent job of being able to bring guys in. Derrek Cooper is his next target to land.
Cooper is a five-star running back out of Hollywood, Florida. He is listed at 6'1 and 205 pounds, coming in with good size at the running back position. He's the second-best running back in the 2026 class, and he has just announced when he will make his final decision.
Ohio State football target Derrek Cooper announces his commitment date
Cooper announced on Thursday that he will be committing to his school of choice on July 20th. He has five schools left on his list. Other than the Ohio State Buckeyes, he is choosing between Alabama, Florida State, Georgia, and Miami. Right now, Miami is favored to win him over.
By no means is Ohio State out of this race yet. Locklyn has a proven track record that he can point to, including coaching two 1,000+ yard rushers just last season en route to a national championship. That should be an excellent selling point to a recruit looking to make the NFL.
Of course, it could come down to an NIL deal. That front seems to be a mess right now, as only one-third of NIL deals have been approved by the new clearinghouse that the NCAA has set up. If that is the top concern for Cooper, he might be out of luck.
The Buckeyes have just over a week to make a final good impression on Cooper. Locklyn and Ryan Day feel that they can still get Cooper to end up in Columbus when everything is all said and done. They just have to lead one final push to nab him.