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Oklahoma Legacy TE Target Commits to Iowa State

The son of Stephen Alexander was widely considered a lock to follow in his father's footsteps, but said he has always had respect for the Cyclones.

John E. Hoover

BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN-USA TODAY NETWORK
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What was once considered a sure thing for Oklahoma apparently has slipped through the Sooners’ fingers.

Cooper Alexander, a 2024 tight end from nearby Washington, OK, whose dad was a two-time all-conference performer for the Sooners, has committed to Iowa State.

He announced his decision on Friday via Twitter.

“There is one place that has always stood out to me,” Alexander wrote after acknowledging other programs who have recruited him.

Alexander is a 3-star prospect, according to 247 Sports, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound versatile tight end who was recruited by Stanford, Colorado, Pittsburgh, Texas A&M and others.

“The culture and leadership in this program are what most impressed me,” he said of the Cyclones.

Alexander is the son of former Sooner Stephen Alexander, who went from Chickasha to All-Big Eight and All-Big 12 honors at OU to a nine-year NFL career.

The Sooners are considered frontrunners for 2025 recruit Davon Mitchell, ranked as a 5-star prospect by 247 Sports, and it’s believed Mitchell is still in the process of reclassifying to the 2024 class.

However, losing Alexander is a setback for OU and Joe Jon Finley. The Sooners were widely considered a lock to land him after his 4-star Washington teammate, 2025 tight end Nate Roberts, committed last week to Notre Dame.

OU offered Alexander on May 23, but he gave Iowa State his verbal pledge exactly a month later, and a week after taking his official visit to the Ames campus following a visit to Stanford.

Alexander's decision adds to the history of other similar misses, from George Kittle leaving Norman High for Iowa to Charlie Kolar leaving Norman North for the Cyclones. Both became all-conference-type performers in college who are now in the NFL, with Kittle a multi-Pro Bowler.

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John E. Hoover
JOHN E. HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.

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