The Longhorns’ fan base exhaled in relief when five-star running back Derrek Cooper pledged to Texas. But analysts say this wasn’t luck; it was the product of head coach Steve Sarkisian’s calculated, long-game approach, designed to weather early recruiting challenges and land elite prospects.
Texas advanced deeper in the College Football Playoff than any other in-state program, defeating Clemson and Arizona State before falling to Ohio State in the semifinals on a toss sweep. The Longhorns also led Texas programs in the NFL Draft, sending 12 players to the league in April after having 11 selected in 2024.
How Did Sarkisian’s Long-Term Strategy Land Cooper?
Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian continues to deliver on the recruiting trail, most recently securing five-star running back Derrek Cooper. Ranked as the No. 2 back nationally, Cooper chose the Longhorns over Georgia, Miami, and Florida State, marking a significant win for Texas in a fiercely contested recruitment.
Cooper’s commitment follows a brief five-day pledge to Georgia in 2024 before reopening his options. On On3’s “The Inside Scoop,” analysts Josh Newberg and Justin Wells dissected the Longhorns’ recent surge.
“Derek Cooper is a Longhorn,” Newberg said. “It’s feeling like Christmas in July.” Wells compared this streak to Texas’ 2022 run when it flipped Kelvin Banks and Cam Williams.
“Texas is fishing in SEC country and they are catching a lot of Marlin right now,” Wells said.
The program’s momentum flipped quickly after what was perceived as a recruiting slump. “They lost an edge to Baylor,” Newberg pointed out, referencing early summer struggles.
But Wells explained that Sarkisian was playing the long game. “Steve Sarkisian is in for the long game. If he wanted to push earlier, I think you could probably get a couple of those guys they missed out on in June.”
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Sarkisian prioritized long-term targets over immediate commitments. “If you weren’t telling them, ‘Hey, OJo and Turner are our number one and number two guys,’ maybe they don’t hit a skid.”
What Role Did Coaching Changes Play in Landing Cooper?
Wells pointed to the transition at running backs coach as a turning point. “Tashard Choice took the job with the Detroit Lions,” he said. “That put a major kink in this recruiting cycle at running back.”
However, Choice’s replacement, Chad Scott, knew Cooper well before arriving in Austin. “Sometimes it always does come back to relationships,” Wells added.
This connection proved crucial in a recruiting cycle that saw multiple high-profile flips. Sarkisian’s recent success also includes flipping five-star defensive lineman James Johnson from Georgia and beating the Bulldogs for linebacker Tyler Atkinson, both within hours of each other.
“They had an idea of what they were going to give Atkinson, they had an idea of what they were going to give Johnson,” Wells said. “But I think Cooper became so much more of a priority.”
Wells added his confidence in Sarkisian’s approach: “When November and December come around, that’s when the flips start to happen… trust in Sark.”
Cooper’s commitment gives Texas three of Florida’s top eight prospects in the 2026 class. Quarterback Dia Bell, a Fort Lauderdale native, plays a pivotal role in peer recruitment and is ranked the No. 1 quarterback in the cycle.
The class also includes offensive lineman John Turntine (No. 2 IOL), cornerback Samari Matthews (No. 14 CB), and linebacker Kosi Okpala (No. 18 LB), all of whom committed in July.
