2026 Derrek Cooper 5* RB/ATH from Chaminade Commits to Texas

[canes41590]

This kid been gone since he visited uga. If it wasn’t uga it was going to be Texas. His mom been tellin everyone Miami was not in front since the uga visit

 

[canadacanes]

This kid been gone since he visited uga. If it wasn’t uga it was going to be Texas. His mom been tellin everyone Miami was not in front since the uga visit

If that’s true how was Miami so confident? Are the various coaches providing the info to sources just clueless?

 

[canes41590]

If that’s true how was Miami so confident? Are the various coaches providing the info to sources just clueless?

That I don’t have an answer to. I just know some people at gibbons where he used to play and was what I heard.

 

[Odysseus]

This kid been gone since he visited uga. If it wasn’t uga it was going to be Texas. His mom been tellin everyone Miami was not in front since the uga visit

Why was she on campus every week then

 

[canes41590]

Why was she on campus every week then

Lol I don’t have an answer for any of that. I’m just saying info that was told to me. Didn’t really pay that much attention to it to post it here, cause I still felt he’d end up here.

 

[MiamisMoperiestMopes]

Why was she on campus every week then

Because it’s local, what else is he going to do and he’s getting massive attention/love/money/gifts?And he can’t go to Athens and Austin every week?

(100% ****post speculation by me, idk why kids go to campuses multiple times but can imagine)

 

[MiamiVice7]

Money talks, simple as that. RB is the easiest position to fill. I’m not worried. Cooper wasn’t winning us any games this season anyway. I believe in the horses we got in that room. Go Canes!

I hate the losses of Cooper and Russell from an optics/momentum standpoint, far more than personnel.

Don’t get me wrong, I would love to have them and we’re not in a position to keep missing on talented kids. But the look in terms of Miami losing hometown studs and Mario the recruiter not pulling guys he apparently should is a BIG problem.

 

[TexasCane90]

Hate to feel like we might have been asleep at the wheel with the staff and everyone thinking this was a done deal… if true he’s worried about depth charts that’s a problem. You’d want to be the freshest you can be for the the league… if you want to be out to a meat grinder for the sake of snaps go to a Wisconsin or something tbag wear you down and see RBs last but two years at most in the league

 

[canes41590]

Hate to feel like we might have been asleep at the wheel with the staff and everyone thinking this was a done deal… if true he’s worried about depth charts that’s a problem. You’d want to be the freshest you can be for the the league… if you want to be out to a meat grinder for the sake of snaps go to a Wisconsin or something tbag wear you down and see RBs last but two years at most in the league

I don’t think Miami was asleep at the wheel. It’s a big boy recruitment with a lot of money involved. And Miami isn’t out of it

 

[TexasCane90]

I don’t think Miami was asleep at the wheel. It’s a big boy recruitment with a lot of money involved. And Miami isn’t out of it

I doubt money is the problem if he’s looking at a depth chart… this kid is probably top 3 on our board which means allocation of funds is there.

We’ve proven we have the war chest to get our top board players…

 

[JHallCanes]

Because it’s local, what else is he going to do and he’s getting massive attention/love/money/gifts?And he can’t go to Athens and Austin every week?

(100% ****post speculation by me, idk why kids go to campuses multiple times but can imagine)

We do have a rich history of people attending our practices constantly all while telling us to **** our own faces

 

[pacusmc]

So according the majority logic including dmoney.

“Can’t outrecruit playoff teams if we’re not making the playoffs” “can’t expect these local kids to want to come here because 10 games don’t mean sht if you lost Syracuse despite Notre dame losing to some unknown school.

Ok, I’ll play along.

How much money and how many years has it taken Texas to get to back to back playoffs.

How much money has ohio state paid to get those classes and draft picks? How many years were Harbaugh and Day the head coaches before they won? How much money did they pay J Smith?

Neither Mario, the admin, nor our fans are gonna have that kind of patience. And I doubt this school and this admin are gonna have the balls to pay Mario’s buy out and go after a top tier coach that’s gonna be able to recruit at his level and also be the “cultural fit” that they would approve of.

So if you’re miami/mario/BOT, then what do you do to solve the problem?
You have to pay your way out of it.

This entire development narrative is complete and total bullsht. Thinking any coach or staff is gonna get 3 stars and low 4 stars and make the playoffs consistently is crazy.

A tcu or Washington making it once is a flash in the pan. Even if bamas coach stayed at Washington he wasn’t gonna make the playoffs again and all of the sudden have UW top 5 in recruiting.

Yes, the culture is improving. And yes The entire program is in a way better direction.

But As an analogy:
We were a 4.8 forty program and now we’re a high 4.5 low 4.6. Texas and uga are consistent 4.3-4.4.
The difference in draft position and money paid in the nfl for 2 tenths of a second is huge!!!

And now since this is semi pro, that same logic applies.

If you want cooper and you’re not a playoff team; you better be ready to outbid teams like Texas.

The goal posts continue to be moved.

First it was 10 wins. Has happened twice already.

Then it was “we have to show improvement”.
Mario has improved every year and the narrative of qb killer run only offense (even from our own fans and on this site) is dead.

We won 10 games, beat the brakes off Florida, beat Clemson the year before with a statue who could t throw past 10 yards.

Now it’s win the acc.

Next it’s gonna be make the playoffs.

Next it’s gonna be “need to be in the final 4”

“Can’t lose to that team in the playoffs”

“Mario isn’t the coach to to win against those type of coaches”

Jimbo fckng fisher won a natty!!
And it’s likely because he recruited a better team than we did in the last 20 years. We haven’t even had a corner or safety as good as Jalen Ramsey and Derwin James since 2002

If kinchens was 6’2 and ran a 4.4 he never would’ve been a cane because we never would’ve afforded him.
Write it down and take a picture. That’s a **** fact and everyone here knows it.

If you’re Miami you better pay more than Texas.
We may not like it. It might not be a good formula. But if Miami makes the playoffs this year or in the next few years, you’re gonna be playing teams that have all the kids you couldn’t land. And if that happens good luck beating them.


So when everybody out here says that it’s not a money issue, it absolutely 100% is a money issue. It’s a money issue because we have to pay more than these teams and hope that they can’t match.

If you really look at it, dmoney is right. We haven’t won. We’ve wet the bed!

So by definition, it’s arrogant to think that we don’t need to outbid these teams just because the dude’s area code is 305/954/561

And if we aren’t gonna pay more, then we have to continue the slow and steady ascension to amass enough average to above average talent and depth to come close to compete at their level. Because you’re not gonna beat them if they’re getting better players than you at every position for multiple years in a row.

If we can’t get an elite athlete, that’s transcendent, who’s been in our backyard for the past three years, and has visited our campus at least 10 times in the past six months, do you really think we’re gonna be able to pull the same quality of athlete from the south, from the Midwest, from the north east, because we make it to the playoffs once?

You think the receivers we have on this team are gonna be enough to overshadow what Jeramiah Smith is gonna do this year? Because that’s what that Miami Northwestern kid is gonna be looking out for.

 

[DemCanes10]

Texas arrogance. It’s a lot like Florida boosters (just diff levels of wealth). They feel it should be an honor to play for them whereas the oil boys in Lubbock and College Station are YOLOing the cash.

Preach

 

[bornagaincane]

Hes not slipping away at all Texas is just upping the bag and we will have to match. The mom wants both highest possible bag + DC to stay home. How often in the past have we seen this play out in the past being on the opppsite side ? But somehow this is new to people now lol

No! We don’t match. Thats why we lose. We surpass. That’s how you win. This is how you mark your territory too, and keep others out in the future.

 

[bornagaincane]

I said when NIL started this recruiting game is like playing Russian roulette . Half the time not even the coaches have a good idea anymore with what’s going on with a recruit.

Cooper was always a huge priority and I’ve always been confident he’d be a Cane. Texas making a late press does make me uncomfortable, mix that with pushing back the decision. Today I’d still lean Miami but Texas is a real threat.

I do know other schools tend to think Miami will be the pick.

Guys, this is not complicated. Do what LSU did with Lamar Brown. Don’t match the offer. Surpass it at the stretch. That’s how you keep Cooper. Simple

 

[bornagaincane]

“Can’t force kids to come here that don’t want to be here”

This is a loser lie in this NIL era.

 

[gogeta4]

That’s what happens when u have Nat’l media throwing dirt on our names. I don’t live in hyperboles, I live in realities. Their fears is part media driven part not respecting Mario as a recruiter so the “assume” we spend all day long.

At the end of the day that oil tycoon $$ is heavier; that church $$ is heavier, that alumni 100k+ base alumni base “donations” r heavier. Those r factz

that fear they have of us is also heavy in their fan bases.

Im in agreement in all of that...buttttt.....we literally bagged Cantwell and Spofford on UGA and they spend more money than anyone save Texas on recruiting.

We are willing to bag up a million ol though but turn into the dad from everybody hates cris at skill positions (thats my problem) lol

 

[gogeta4]

View attachment 330073

Hmm

this is also gaby who is a p so you have that

 

[bornagaincane]

At some point you gotta over spend to keep the elite playmakers home. Pay the suck tax

We’ve missed on all the big names on the DL and probably not getting Keys/Russell. Allocate the money to him and get it done

There is nothing like over spending if that’s the worth of the player to you. Market value in sports is unique and is based on a teams unique situation and needs and not on the traditional market

This definitely is a whiff if we lose Cooper but it's not a make or break situation like Cam Ward was. We have a decent backfield BUT it's time for Mario to start winning NOW. I believe if Carson Beck plays to his potential we can and should win the ACC along with being in the playoffs. I'm certain these recruits are hearing a ton of negative recruiting versus Mario. The way you stop this is WIN AND WIN BIG. Beating BOTH ND and FL are a must and let's see what happens. If Mario pulls another year like last my gut is that he will be on the hot seat! Such a pity the Coopers wasted all of UM's time if they decide to go to Texas but he does not define this team at all.

The optics of it is not good for us. This gives confidence to the Texas’ of the world that they can get whoever they want in south Florida

 

[bornagaincane]

Have we called Keys today ?

We can call Keys all we want. LSU will do what it has to do to keep him.