No. 2 RB in 2026, teammate of new Nittany Lions announces upcoming Penn State football visit

Penn State football is expected to host multiple elite 2026 prospects during official visit season this summer. The Nittany Lions have now added another name to that list.

On Saturday, four-star Chaminade-Madonna Prep (FL) running back Derrek Cooper announced his plans to visit Happy Valley on the weekend of June 17-19. The visit is the penultimate of six that the elite high school rusher will take this summer. Cooper will also see Auburn (May 16), Miami (May 30), Alabama (June 6), Georgia (June 13), and Ohio State (June 20).

@ChadSimmons_ @JohnGarcia_Jr @RivalsFriedman @TomLoy247 @coachjfranklin @CoachTerryPSU @CoachLustig @calebtyler_psu pic.twitter.com/iXNTAIMgG8

— Derrek Cooper (@DerrekCooper80) March 1, 2025

Cooper shared the field with 2025 signees Koby Howard and Bekkem Kritza, who both enrolled at Penn State in January. In 15 games over his junior season, Cooper ran the ball 124 times for 905 yards and 13 touchdowns, according to MaxPreps.

With the potential to be a future five-star, Cooper is the No. 30 prospect in the country and the No. 2 running back in the On3 Industry Rankings for the 2026 recruiting class. He briefly committed to Georgia last June before quickly retracting that pledge. Now, he’ll look to form a relationship with new Nittany Lions running backs coach Stan Drayton, who arrived in Happy Valley in February.

Penn State football already holds a commitment from Harrisburg (PA) four-star running back Messiah Mickens in the cycle. With eight commitments, the Nittany Lions have the No. 6 class nationally. The program already has visits with a pair of five-star prospects, offensive lineman Immanuel Iheanacho and cornerback Brandon Arrington, set up for this summer.

Thank you for reading Basic Blues Nation, one of the fastest-growing outlets covering Penn State athletics. Part of the Full Ride network, we are an alumni-owned and operated, credentialed media outlet dedicated to providing you with updated and reliable insights for all your favorite Nittany Lion sports. Whether it’s Penn State football, basketball, wrestling, or anything in between, you can find it all on Basic Blues Nation!

Please follow us on our social channels, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube, and subscribe to our newsletter on Substack for breaking news and notifications. For feedback, questions, or concerns, please email us at [email protected] or direct message us on social media.