2026 On3 4-star OT Javeion Cooper commits to Syracuse, Fran Brown: ‘He wants you to succeed’ 

Melbourne (Fla.) Melbourne Central Catholic four-star offensive tackle Javeion Cooper holds offers from six schools including Syracuse. The Orange gradually emerged as a serious contender in his recruitment and hosted him four times. 

Cooper’s most recent trip to New York was on the weekend of Nov. 30 for Syracuse’s upset win over then-No. 6 Miami, his first game visit to the ACC program. The 6-foot-4, 295-pound recruit never thought he would choose a school this early, but he “felt it” during his trip. So, Cooper committed to head coach Fran Brown and his staff in the locker room after the Orange’s victory over the Hurricanes and has now publicly announced his decision. 

“That visit was a big part of why I committed,” Cooper told On3. “I talked to the new offensive assistant coach, I talked to the players and heard different things from them. I got to see how coach Fran talks and how he carries himself… Those things had a big impact on me and made me want to commit.”

Cooper is excited to play for Syracuse and Brown

Cooper shared that Syracuse’s brotherhood, coaching staff and success were key reasons why he pledged to the Orange over offers from Florida State, Penn State, Pittsburgh, UCF and West Virginia. The No. 28 player in Florida also enjoyed watching his first game in the JMA Wireless Dome. 

“It was crazy,” said Cooper, the No. 181 overall prospect and No. 16 offensive tackle in the 2026 On300. “It was very exciting.” 

Cooper had “a blast” in the locker room after Syracuse’s win and saw how excited the Orange’s players were to beat Miami. Syracuse finished 9-3 in its first regular season under Brown and Cooper is looking forward to playing for him in the future. 

“I like coach Fran because he’s a hard-working man and he wants you to be the best at what you want to be,” Cooper said. “Whatever you want to do, even if it’s not football, he wants you to succeed and continue to do great as you get older and have children. I love how he coaches there. I feel like that’s where I want to be.”