Texas A&M Aggies Linebacker Edgerrin Cooper Named AP First-Team All-American
The awards keep coming for Texas A&M linebacker Edgerrin Cooper.
Cooper, A&M's top defensive player and mouthpiece on Saturdays at Kyle Field, was tabbed as a First Team All-American by the Associated Press, the outlet announced Monday morning. He was one of nine SEC players pegged for first-team status.
Making the AP All-American roster was just one of several accolades Cooper has received this season. The junior also garnered First Team All-SEC accolades from the league's coaches and was also named a First Team All-American by the Walter Camp Football Foundation, The Athletic and CBS Sports, and a Second Team All-American by the FWAA.
Cooper dominated the field in 2023, helping the Aggies rank seventh among Power 5 teams in total defense (295.0 yards per game) while also boasting top-three season totals in tackles for loss (96.0) and sacks (42.0) as a unit. Cooper led the SEC and ranked fifth among Power 5 players with 17.0 tackles for loss on the year. His team-leading 84 total tackles and eight sacks ranked sixth and fourth in the SEC, respectively.
Auburn Tigers quarterback Payton Thorne (1) runs the ball on a quarterback keeper as Texas A&M Aggies linebacker Edgerrin Cooper (45) attempts a tackle during the second quarter at Kyle Field.
Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports
A native of Covington, La., Cooper tallied at least six takedowns in nine of the team's 12 games this season, matching his career high with 11 tackles against Alabama and Mississippi State. He had at least 1.0 TFL in seven of the eight SEC games, including 8.0 tackles for loss and 6.0 sacks through the first three league games of the season.
Cooper could elect to return for his senior season under first-year coach Mike Elko, but multiple draft analysts believe his sights could be set on the NFL with the right draft grade. Most mock drafts feature Cooper as an early-to-mid second-round pick.
The Aggies (7-5) will close out the 2023 season at NRG Stadium in Houston against No. 20 Oklahoma State (9-4) in the TaxAct Texas Bowl on Dec. 27 at 8 p.m.
