Skip to main content
Join Now

4-star RB Derrek Cooper gets birthday surprise while on Georgia visit

hunterby:Hunter Shelton•03/27/25•

HunterShelton_

Derrek Cooper
Photo courtesy of Derrek Cooper's X account.

Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) American Heritage four-star running back Derrek Cooper continues to work through his recruiting process and teams are getting him back on campus this spring. Georgia is the latest to have 6-foot-0.5, 210-pounder in for a visit.

The Bulldogs are looking to make Cooper’s latest trip to Athens a special one, too. The UGA staff helped surprise the tailback with a birthday cake as he turns 17 years old:

“Georgia is a great school that puts running backs in the league and develops a lot of players,” Cooper told On3’s Chad Simmons ahead of the visit. “That can really be the same for Alabama, Texas and Ohio State. All four are top programs, they all recruit me hard and it will be great to spend more time with the coaches at each school.”

The Bulldogs were one of the first schools to lock in an official visit with Cooper. He’ll be back in Athens on the weekend of June 13. UGA has long been in the mix for his pledge and it continues to make an impact as he works through his process.

“The coaching staff is awesome and my whole family loves Kirby Smart,” Cooper said in January. “My family and I have talked to him a lot. Coach (Josh) Crawford and I talk almost every day and I fit well into their offense as a running back. Georgia was the third school to offer me, so it was really my first big offer.”

Miami, Florida State, Alabama, Auburn and Ohio State are among the schools also at the top of Cooper’s recruitment. He is the No. 32 overall prospect and No. 3 RB in the 2026 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 2 player in Florida.

“I will will go anywhere,” Cooper said of his eventual decision. “I just want to get developed and get to the next level. A lot of things will go into my commitment. I am keeping my options this spring, then when I take my official visits. I will go through my notebook, see how I feel on my official visits and figure out who makes me feel at home.”

To date, Georgia has six commits in its 2026 class, which ranks No. 17 in the nation, according to the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. Tustin (Calif.) Mission Viejo four-star wide receiver Vance Spafford and Long Beach (Calif.) IMG Academy four-star safety Zech Fort headline as the No. 9 player at their respective positions.