Miami Hurricanes swing and miss on local five-star 2026 recruit that they needed to land
The Miami Hurricanes have had a tough time holding on to some of the top talent in their own backyard over the last two decades. Homegrown talent such as Jerry Jeudy, Dalvin Cook, Calvin Ridley, and most recently Jeremiah Smith, among many others, have headed out of South Florida to play their college ball. That […]
The Miami Hurricanes have had a tough time holding on to some of the top talent in their own backyard over the last two decades. Homegrown talent such as Jerry Jeudy, Dalvin Cook, Calvin Ridley, and most recently Jeremiah Smith, among many others, have headed out of South Florida to play their college ball.
That proved to be true again on Saturday night with one of the biggest names in the 2026 recruiting cycle. Running back Derrek Cooper from Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood, FL) committed to the Texas Longhorns. Cooper was a five-star player and the #1 RB by ESPN and a four-star and the #2 RB by Rivals' industry rankings.
There had been recent rumblings among the recruiting experts that Cooper was looking to go out of state. Texas and Georgia had been projected as frontrunners over Miami. That turned out to accurate, and Miami fans are seeing another big-name talent heading out of town.
It's another painful miss from Chaminade-Madonna in the last couple of years. Miami was a finalist for Smith and continued to push until signing day. However, the Buckeyes won out in the end, and Smith showed the nation how he's the best receiver, if not the best player altogether, in the entire country last year as a true freshman.
Miami also missed out this cycle on Miami Northwestern WR Calvin Russell, a Rivals' industry five-star recruit who picked Syracuse over the Canes.
Landing Cooper would have been a good sign that Miami perhaps is starting to put a wall up and keep the very best of the best at home. But it looks like Mario Cristobal is going to have to start turning the talent he does have into more wins if he's going to finally get that wall built and keep the best in South Florida right there in South Florida.
