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Ranked by many as the No. 1 running back in the 2026 recruiting class, Derrek Cooper is brimming with confidence. There are a lot of lofty expectations for the Florida product and Cooper is embracing them by picking a high profile number. Cooper will wear No. 5 is freshman year, Bijan Robinson's old number.
Bijan famously wore the number on route to the 2022 Doak Walker Award as the nation’s top running back. Robinson finished his Longhorns career as the No. 4 rusher in UT history with 3,410 rushing yards and 41 total touchdowns.
Robinson was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons No. 8 in the 2023 NFL Draft and is now arguably the best running back in the NFL. He has passed Christian McCaffery and Barry Sanders for the most total career yards from scrimmage by any player under the age of 24.
Cooper, who never took an official visit to the 40 Acres, picked Texas over Florida State, Miami, and Ohio State. The Hollywood, FL native bonded with former Longhorns running back coach Chad Scott. But after a poor running game in 2025, Scott was let go back Texas coach Steve Sarkisian and replaced him with Jabbar Juluke.
Cooper's father said after the Chaminade-Madonna back committed to Texas they see Derrek in a similar role as Bijan had at UT.
"They've talked about his skill set and compared his build to [former UT running back] Bijan Robinson," Corey Cooper told ESPN. "They don't have a running back like Derrek right now. They feel like they can do a lot with him. He wants to run, he wants to be able to catch the ball out of the backfield, he wants to line up at wide receiver. He wants to show he has all the skills to play at the next level, and they're going to let him do that at Texas."
This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Texas freshman RB Derrek Cooper to wear No. 5 this fall to honor Bijan
Continue reading...
Bijan famously wore the number on route to the 2022 Doak Walker Award as the nation’s top running back. Robinson finished his Longhorns career as the No. 4 rusher in UT history with 3,410 rushing yards and 41 total touchdowns.
Robinson was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons No. 8 in the 2023 NFL Draft and is now arguably the best running back in the NFL. He has passed Christian McCaffery and Barry Sanders for the most total career yards from scrimmage by any player under the age of 24.
Cooper, who never took an official visit to the 40 Acres, picked Texas over Florida State, Miami, and Ohio State. The Hollywood, FL native bonded with former Longhorns running back coach Chad Scott. But after a poor running game in 2025, Scott was let go back Texas coach Steve Sarkisian and replaced him with Jabbar Juluke.
Cooper's father said after the Chaminade-Madonna back committed to Texas they see Derrek in a similar role as Bijan had at UT.
"They've talked about his skill set and compared his build to [former UT running back] Bijan Robinson," Corey Cooper told ESPN. "They don't have a running back like Derrek right now. They feel like they can do a lot with him. He wants to run, he wants to be able to catch the ball out of the backfield, he wants to line up at wide receiver. He wants to show he has all the skills to play at the next level, and they're going to let him do that at Texas."
This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Texas freshman RB Derrek Cooper to wear No. 5 this fall to honor Bijan
Continue reading...
