The recruiting wars just got hotter in Austin. After watching eight straight targets slip away, the Texas Longhorns needed something big to happen.
On July 20, they got exactly that when five-star running back Derrek Cooper announced his commitment to UT. The celebration didn’t last long before critics started throwing punches, claiming Texas is buying championships with a rumored $40 million NIL war chest.
Why Did Derrek Cooper Choose Texas Over Elite Competition?
Just days after securing the nation’s top offensive lineman, Tyler Atkinson, the Longhorns struck again with another massive get. Cooper, ESPN’s top-rated running back in the 2026 cycle, became the latest five-star talent to join what’s shaping up as one of college football’s most loaded recruiting classes.
At 6’2″ and 205 pounds, the Chaminade-Madonna Prep standout from Hollywood, Florida, also ranks No. 7 overall in the ESPN 300. That’s generational talent by any measure.
What makes Cooper’s commitment even more remarkable? He never took an official visit to Austin. Instead, an unofficial April trip sold him on the program completely. That was enough for Cooper to turn down heavyweights like Florida State, Georgia, Miami, and Ohio State.
However, not everyone was ready to celebrate. Shortly after Hayes Fawcett broke the news on X, critics came out swinging. The post quickly turned into a social media firestorm, with accusations that Texas wasn’t just recruiting but outright buying its recruiting class.
BREAKING: Elite 2026 RB Derrek Cooper has Committed to Texas, he tells me for @rivals
The 6’2 210 RB from Fort Lauderdale, FL chose the Longhorns over Miami & Georgia
He’s ranked as the No. 2 RB in the ’26 Class
“Terry blacks I’m on my way!”https://t.co/99qeVUfHrm pic.twitter.com/z37EOSD89Q
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 20, 2025
What’s Behind the $40 Million NIL Controversy?
At the center of the uproar sits one explosive question: just how much is Texas spending on NIL deals? Rumors of a jaw-dropping $40 million war chest have opponents and critics up in arms.
“What’s Texas spent so far on this roster? 40M?” one critic wrote in the comment section.
Texas fans weren’t about to take that lying down. One fired back immediately: “Hey, stupid. We missed eight recruits in a row before this last run. We don’t overspend.”
The back-and-forth escalated quickly. Another critic chimed in: “Not a surprise that oil money is no joke.” But the replies came fast and fierce, with one standing out: “They’re straight owning Georgia in head-to-head players.”
When someone added, “They’re so greedy,” a Texas fan clapped back just as hard: “Y’all literally bought your last championship.”
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While the comment section lit up with arguments, Texas’ recruiting board was lighting up for entirely different reasons. Cooper became the fourth five-star addition to the Longhorns’ 2026 class, capping off a torrid summer run that’s seen 10 ESPN 300 pledges since June 1.
The timing of Cooper’s commitment also tells a story. His pledge arrived just days after Texas beat out Georgia for No. 14-ranked offensive lineman Atkinson, who happens to be the top prospect in Georgia. Later that same evening, the Longhorns flipped four-star Georgia defensive line commit James Johnson (No. 123).
Cooper is now the second-highest rated player in Steve Sarkisian’s class, joining an elite group that includes six top-100 talents: Atkinson, fellow five-stars Dia Bell (No. 4) and Richard Wesley (No. 11), plus four-stars John Turntine III (No. 43) and Samari Matthews (No. 99).
As a dynamic two-way standout at Chaminade-Madonna Prep in Hollywood, Florida, Cooper trails only Bell, ESPN’s No. 1 quarterback, as the state’s second-best recruit.
His junior season numbers back up the hype: 905 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on 124 carries while leading his squad to a 1A state title. In 2024, he showed his defensive versatility by adding 46 tackles and four sacks, playing both linebacker and safety.
Even with five backs potentially returning in 2026, Cooper’s elite pass-catching ability gives him a clear path to early playing time. Sarkisian’s offense has built a reputation for maximizing versatile skill players, and Cooper fits that mold perfectly.
Tyler Atkinson plays LB, not OL
Poor journalist work, you should remove this article and try again