The Florida State Seminoles have one running back committed in their 2026 recruiting class but they are trying to add a second. Their top remaining target is Derrek Cooper, a four-star prospect from Fort Lauderdale.
He was originally set to commit earlier in July, but will now announce his decision on July 20, and the Seminoles are a finalist. They are battling the Texas Longhorns, Miami Hurricanes, Ohio State Buckeyes, and Georgia Bulldogs for Cooper.
He recently spoke with Hayes Fawcett of Rivals about his recruitment and had great things to say about head coach Mike Norvell and running backs coach David Johnson.
“They have always been high on my board ever since I started getting highly recruited,” Cooper said. “Coach Norvell’s just a great guy. He’s a great person to be around, just a great guy to talk to. Coach David (Johnson) is a great running back coach.He goes over a lot of stuff with me.”
Cooper is ranked as the No. 34 overall player and No. 3 running back in On3’s industry ranking. The 6-foot-0.5 and 210-pounder is also the No. 3 player from Florida.
While he is set to play running back in college, he has excelled on both sides of the ball during his high school career and could probably play defense at the next level. He ran for 905 yards and 13 touchdowns on just 124 carries, averaging 9.3 yards per carry. On the defensive side, he recorded 46 tackles, 10.0 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, one interception, three pass breakups, and two forced fumbles.
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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: Elite running back praises FSU head coach Mike Norvell
Reporting by JD McCarthy, FSU Wire / FSU Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
