Ohio State makes top-5 for 4-star DE prospect from Texas

Spenser Davis | 4 hours ago

Ohio State’s recruiting pipeline into Texas remains strong.

The Buckeyes are officially finalists for 4-star defensive end Ernest “RJ” Cooper. His top five also includes Stanford, Notre Dame, Oregon and Texas A&M.

Here’s his announcement:

Thankful and blessed for this opportunity, I thank all of my coaches and my parents for all of their support. @BobWager31 pic.twitter.com/ZXQoiQZF8t

— Ernest “RJ” Cooper (@RJ_COOPER44) April 8, 2021

The Aggies may have a proximity advantage over the other schools in this top five, but Ohio State has been very successful recruiting in Texas in recent years.

According to 247Sports Composite rankings, Cooper is the No. 10 strong side defensive end in the country in the 2022 recruiting class.

He’s listed at 6-foot-4, 235 pounds and attends Martin High School in Arlington, Texas. He also holds offers from Alabama, Auburn, Baylor, LSU and many others.

There’s currently no timetable for Cooper’s commitment.

Ohio State already has 12 commitments for the 2022 class, but none are listed as defensive linemen.

The Early Signing Period for the 2022 cycle is in December.