Texas freshmen tracker: Let the Derrek Cooper breakout begin.
TexasThe highly-touted running back returned from injury in preparation for SEC play. Most notable among them — freshman Derrek Cooper.
Cooper missed Texas' comeback 24-23 win over Ohio State in Week 2, but that didn't stop him from pounding the turf as he toted the rock on 11 rushes for 44 yards and a touchdown , which came on a one-yard run while Texas was well ahead and with a little less than nine minutes on the clock in the fourth quarter. It did, however, cap off an eight-play, 66-yard drive.
Not bad for Cooper's first collegiate touchdown. First touchdown of freshman running back Derrek Cooper's Texas career.
"He's not quite 100 percent yet, but I needed him to play tonight knowing what's coming down the road in SEC play. The No. 3 athlete in the 2026 recruiting class continued to get reps at wide receiver through three weeks, grabbing two receptions for 22 yards against UTSA, one of which was a 15-yard reception on a screen pass, while playing a career-high 25 snaps.
KEY POINTS
- Texas freshmen tracker: Let the Derrek Cooper breakout begin.
- As is often the case in non-conference play, the 30-6 win by the No. 1 Texas Longhorns over the UTSA Roadrunners gave the program's freshmen opportunities to make their presences known.
- Cooper wasn't fully healthy, but his ankle recovered enough for Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian to put his highly-touted freshman into action in anticipation of SEC play.
- So I was proud of him of working the way that he worked to get himself ready to play this week, but I think there's more out there for him as we continue to go," Sarkisian said after the game.