Injury Update on Indiana's Omar Cooper Jr. Ahead of Rose Bowl vs Alabama

The lone undefeated team standing in the country, No. 1 Indiana (13-0) has triumphed in the face of adversity time and again.

We saw it in the Big Ten championship, when the Hoosiers lost their star wideout Omar Cooper Jr. in the first quarter, yet still were able to escape Indianapolis with a 13-10 victory over then-No. 1 Ohio State.

Indiana's Omar Cooper Jr. expected to be back in action for the Rose Bowl vs. Alabama

Fortunately, although Indiana will still be facing hurdles, it appears as though the absence of Cooper won’t be one of them. According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, the Hoosiers’ leading receiver is back in action, and poised to suit up against Alabama in the Rose Bowl on Thursday (4:00 p.m. ET, ESPN).

Sources: Indiana leading WR Omar Cooper is back to full speed for the Hoosiers. He’s expected to be at full availability for the Rose Bowl against Alabama. He'd been trending this way since a lower-body injury against Ohio State in the Big Ten title game. pic.twitter.com/S9pccdOAsW
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 29, 2025

Cooper, an Indianapolis native who is in his fourth season with the Hoosiers (redshirt junior), stuck around in Bloomington when Curt Cignetti came to town, and is reaping the benefits. After reeling in 28 receptions for 594 yards and seven touchdowns in 2024, Cooper took a huge step forward this season, going for 58 catches, 804 yards and 11 touchdowns en route to second-team All-Big Ten honors.

The culmination of Cooper’s season – and his collegiate career – came on that unforgettable game-winning touchdown in the back of the end zone against Penn State.

This might be the catch of the year!

Fernando Mendoza just marched the Indiana Hoosiers down the field for 80 yards and puts IU back up against Penn State on the road with a TD pass to Omar Cooper Jr. in the back of the endzone.

It was one of the most insane catches you will… pic.twitter.com/Eh5BaJjxVr
— Dusty Baker (@DustyBakerTV) November 8, 2025

Omar Cooper's skill set creates endless opportunities for Indiana's offense

A constant house-call threat, Cooper’s open-field explosion is a game-changer for Indiana’s passing attack, as is his ability in the red zone.

“Omar, he does a really good job down the field, his explosiveness, his ability after the catch,” said offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan on Saturday. “We don’t necessarily design crazy routes for him. We just got to give him the ball and knowing that he can break tackles, make things happen on his own. He’s done an excellent job of that this year.”

Facing one of the top passing defenses in the country (Alabama’s 168.4 passing yards allowed per game ranks tenth in the country and third among College Football Playoff teams), Indiana will need all of Cooper’s dynamic skill set on display.

Cooper and fellow standout wide receiver Elijah Sarratt have been arguably the top one-two receiving punch in the Big Ten (Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate have a solid case), and certainly one of the best in the country.

With Indiana’s air attack back at 100 percent, quarterback Fernando Mendoza may be in-line to slice up Alabama’s secondary, which, despite being tremendous throughout the majority of the season, did allow Oklahoma’s John Mateer to crack 300 yards for just the second time in his past 11 games during the first round of the CFP.