All Hurricanes

Top-Three 2026 Running Back Derrek Cooper Impressed with Miami After Visit

The Miami Hurricanes are bringing in only during their visits and are starting to build a strictly blue-chip recruiting class. One of their top targets is running back Derrek Cooper.

Justice Sandle

Nov 30, 2024; Syracuse, New York, USA; Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal looks on prior to the game against the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images
Nov 30, 2024; Syracuse, New York, USA; Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal looks on prior to the game against the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images / Rich Barnes-Imagn Images
In this story:

The Miami Hurricanes are building a team for the future, and the recruiting of Mario Cristobal and the Hurricanes staff continue to impress some of the best around the country.

That starts with impressing a top-five running back in the class in five-star Derrek Cooper. He took his visit to Miami and was impressed with what they had to offer. He also took a visit to Florida State and saw what they had to offer as well.

For the Hurricanes, it is simple. They have plenty of young talent surrounding Cooper who are also committed to the Canes. Some extra recruiting will go a long way, but the star running back is beginning to settle on the teams that pique his interest the most compared to the others.

The Miami Hurricanes begin to turn their attention to the 2026 class. They already have three commits and currently have the No. 31 class in the country according to 247 Sports. They are ranked No. 13 on On3, so it is hard to judge where they stand but with more blue-ship recruits looking at Miami in a new light, that can easily change.

Class of 2026 Commitments

  1. CB Camdin Portis, 6-foot, 165 lbs. - Charlotte, North Carolina (Committed 10/27/2024)
  2. LB Jordan Campbell, 6-foot-2, 200 lbs. - Opa Locka, Florida (Committed 11/21/2023)
  3. QB Dereon Coleman, 5-foot-11, 165 lbs. - Orlando, Florida (Committed 07/03/2024)
  4. OT Ben Congdon, 6-foot-7, 270 lbs. - Mineral City, Ohio (Committed 3/3/2025)
  5. CB, Jaelen Waters, 6-foot-2, 185 lbs. - Seffner, Florida (Committed 3/7/2025)

Check out the Miami football recruiting tracker for a full breakdown of the 2026 classes and more.

Read More Recruiting News From Miami Hurricanes On SI:

Follow all social media platforms to stay up to date with everything Miami Hurricanes-related: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, and BlueSky.

Published
Justice Sandle
JUSTICE SANDLE

Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University earning a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Communications with a concentration in Print and Digital Journalism. During his time in Starkville, he spent a year as an intern working for Mississippi State On SI primarily covering basketball, football, baseball, and soccer while writing, recording, and creating multimedia stories during his tenor. Since graduating, he has assumed the role of lead staff writer for Miami Hurricanes On SI covering football, basketball, baseball, and all things Hurricanes related.

Home/Recruiting