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2026 No. 1 RB Derrek Cooper visits Ohio State

hunterby: Hunter Shelton11/09/24HunterShelton_
Derrek Cooper
(Corey Bender/On3)

Ohio State has some major firepower at the running back position on campus this weekend. That includes Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna four-star Derrek Cooper, the No. 1 RB in the 2026 cycle.

Cooper made his way up to Columbus and watched the Buckeyes blank Purdue for an easy 45-0 victory. He got to spend time around the OSU staff and catch up with freshman phenom wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, his former high school teammate:

Cooper has also visited Miami, Auburn and Alabama this fall, all of whom are working hard to land his pledge. Much like Smith’s recruitment a cycle ago, Ohio State will look to pull Cooper out of the South when the time comes next year.

The 6-foot-0.5, 190-pounder is alongside other top running backs this weekend, too. Montgomery (Ala.) Carver four-star RB Anthony Rogers, an Alabama commit, is on campus for his official visit this weekend. Mineral (Va.) Louisa County four-star Savion Hiter is right behind Cooper as the No. 2 RB in the junior cycle and is also in Columbus.

Cooper is the No. 23 overall prospect in the 2026 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 3 junior in Florida.

The Buckeyes currently have just one commit in the 2026 class, but it’s a big one, as Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei Five-Star Plus+ wide receiver commit Chris Henry Jr. is the No. 1 junior in the nation. Ohio State’s 2025 class currently features a pair of tailback commits in Cleveland four-star Bo Jackson and Philadephia three-star Isaiah West.

Scout’s Take on Derrek Cooper

Cooper was a top performer at the Under Armour Future 50 event in Florida this summer. He caught the eye of On3 National Scout Cody Bellaire:

“Derrek Cooper is another player that played both ways during Friday’s games. He’s somebody who has a college-ready frame right now going into his junior season of high school. Cooper showed tremendous twitch and strong overall movement skills on both sides of the ball. I was most impressed though with his strong hands and ability to catch the football away from his frame. He was the safety net for his team during both games and showed natural ball skills. Cooper is a very natural athlete that has all the physical and athletic tools that translate to the next level.”