FSU doesn't have a running back in its 2026 recruiting class after four-star Amari Thomas backed off of his pledge a few days ago. Some pundits implied FSU could land four-star athlete Derrek Cooper (who was getting recruited as a running back) to take his place.
However, that was never a realistic option, although he took an official visit to FSU and had them among his final five list of schools.
Texas was the clear leader, and he committed to the Longhorns on Sunday night.
BREAKING: Elite 2026 RB Derrek Cooper has Committed to Texas, he tells me for @rivals
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 20, 2025
The 6’2 210 RB from Fort Lauderdale, FL chose the Longhorns over Miami & Georgia
He’s ranked as the No. 2 RB in the ‘26 Class
“Terry blacks I’m on my way!”https://t.co/99qeVUfHrm pic.twitter.com/z37EOSD89Q
He's from South Florida, and Miami was probably behind Georgia and Texas for his services.
This issue has become the norm for the top players from South Florida, as they rarely stay in-state anymore. I wrote about the options for FSU football at running back after Amari Thomas de-committed. If I were the FSU coaches, I'd take those resources and put them towards flipping a quality defensive edge and landing an offensive tackle.
Those are the two biggest needs remaining in the recruiting class. FSU has one legitimate blue-chip offensive line target remaining that's uncommitted.
They don't have any blue-chip EDGE defenders left uncommitted, although they offered an intriguing three-star prospect that's severely underrated because he's from Sweden. I'd take him over most of the blue-chip targets FSU had, including Cam Brooks. I'd take him over three-star Chris Addison and Katrell Webb, too.
We'll see if FSU can land that official visit, but those positions have way more value than running back. A prime example is how poorly the running back was last year because the FSU offensive line was terrible. It didn't matter how many five-star running backs you have if there are no holes to run through.