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Alabama staff visits elite 2026 RB Derrek Cooper

hunterby: Hunter Shelton01/31/25HunterShelton_
Derrek Cooper 3 copy 1.jpg

With the January contact period coming to a close, coaching staffs are able to make just a couple more stops on the recruiting trail before spring visit season approaches.

Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer and his staff have been all over this month. Many of the Crimson Tide coaches were in Florida on Friday.

Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna four-star running back Derrek Cooper has garnered interest from all of the top programs in and around the Southeast. Alabama is in that mix and the Tide went five-deep to see the 6-foot-0.5 playmaker:

Coaches from Ohio State, Penn State, Florida State, Auburn, Texas A&M, Georgia, Florida and Miami have all also been by to see Cooper this month. All of those schools cracked Cooper’s top 10 alongside the Tide back on Jan. 21.

As he continues to work towards a commitment, Cooper knows what he’s looking for in his college home:

“When I commit, it will be about how I will be used, how the relationships are between my family and the coaches are and the stability of the coaching staff,” Cooper previously told On3. “The fit into the scheme will be important to me too. I want the chance to get on the field and show my ability as quickly as I can.”

Official visits to Miami and Georgia have already been locked in. Cooper also visited Auburn this month and the Tigers are right near the top of his recruitment. Bama is looking to make a splash with the elite burner, too.

Cooper is the No. 23 overall prospect and No. 2 RB 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 player in Florida.

A do-it-all star for Chaminade-Madonna, Cooper had 124 carries for 905 yards and 13 touchdowns last season, per MaxPreps. He also accumulated 46 total tackles, four pass deflections and an interception for the Lions.

Chaminade-Madonna finished with a 15-2 record and claimed a fourth consecutive 1A state title in the Sunshine State. It finished as the No. 1 team in Florida and the No. 13 team in the nation, per the On3 Composite Rankings.

Cooper has an On3 NIL Valuation of $165K. The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets high school and college athletes’ projected annual value (PAV). The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.