Son of Tennessee Legend Commits to Oklahoma Sooners

Volunteers' legend Jason Witten's son has become a premier recruit in the country. Tennessee missed out on Witten, who announced that he was committing to Oklahoma.

Mar 17, 2018; Dallas, TX, USA; Tennessee Volunteers former head football coach Phillip Fullmer sits with Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten during the first half against the Loyola (Il) Ramblers in the second round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images | Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

The Tennessee Volunteers are one of the most historic programs in all of college football. Some of college football’s most iconic players once called Rocky Top home, including Peyton Manning, Reggie White, Eric Berry, and many more.

One legend, Jason Witten, went on to have a historic NFL career.  Some of his accolades include being second all-time in receiving yards by a tight end, sixth in receiving touchdowns by a tight end, and having made 11 Pro Bowls.

His son, Cooper Witten, has also become a household name. Witten is currently listed as a top-35 player in the country and the second-best linebacker by Rivals. He plays at Liberty Christian High School in Argyle, Texas, where the Warriors went 8-4 last season with Witten being a force on both sides of the ball. He was described as a “generational talent” by Texas Private School Media in October.

Cooper Witten Commits to Oklahoma

Nov 26, 2009; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten (82) poses with his wife Michelle Witten and sons C.J. Witten and Cooper Witten before the game against the Oakland Raiders at Cowboys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Witten visited Knoxville for the rivalry game against Georgia last season. He announced a top 10 schools list back in November that included his dad’s alma mater, Tennessee. However, it was reported back in January by Rivals that five schools were really standing out to him. The five schools were Tennessee, Georgia, Texas, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma.

Rumors started to circulate just a few days later when his dad took the tight ends coach job at Oklahoma, suggesting that Cooper would join his dad. There seemed to be some hope for other schools when it was reported that Witten, who still has one year left in college, would not move to Oklahoma for his last year of high school.

However, those original rumors turned out to be true when it was announced earlier today that Cooper was committing to Oklahoma.

The 2027 linebacker joins an Oklahoma class that was already ranked highest in the country. He is now the third-highest-ranked commitment for the Sooners, but the highest-ranked commit from outside the state of Oklahoma.  

With Witten joining his dad in Norman, the two will reunite as not just father-and-son, but also coach-and-player, since Jason had been the head coach at Liberty Christian.

Losing out on Witten is a huge loss on the recruiting scene, but Tennessee is still in the hunt for some of the best defensive players in the country. Including a five-star defensive back who spoke with Vols on SI, and more can be read about that here.