Auburn football is going through a rough patch, but Tiger fans still make Jordan-Hare Stadium a challenging venue. Evidence of that can be seen from the eyes of recruits on campus for visits last weekend.
[autotag]Derrek Cooper[/autotag], the No. 1 athlete from the 2026 class from Chaminade-Madonna Prep in Hollywood, Florida, was on campus last weekend alongside fellow Auburn commitment [autotag]Denairius Gray[/autotag] and former Auburn running back [autotag]Shaun Shivers[/autotag], who coaches both athletes.
Cooper raved about his visit to the Plains with On3’s Cole Pinkston, including the exciting environment during the Tigers’ game with Oklahoma.
“Man, the experience was so surreal,” Cooper said in an interview with On3. “Every first down the crowd was just hyped, everything was so loud I could barely think. It was so loud, I loved the crowd tonight. It looked solid tonight. Oklahoma is a great team. It was a good game today.”
Cooper also tells On3 that Auburn is in the early stages of recruiting him, and says that Auburn coaches are recruiting him to play either safety or running back. When it comes to relationships, Cooper says that he wants to continue building one with head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and offensive coordinator [autotag]Derrick Nix[/autotag] as his recruitment continues.
Cooper is the No. 1 athlete from the 2026 cycle according to Rivals, ESPN, and On3’s Industry Rankings. He is also Florida’s No. 1 overall recruit from the cycle by Rivals’ standards.
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