Steve Sarkisian Could Have the Next Bijan Robinson On His Hands

One freshman running back for the Texas Longhorns could have some fans as well as head coach Steve Sarkisian going through some deja vu.

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian looks on before the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Cotton Bowl. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian has had the privilege to coach some incredible talent during his first five years in the Texas state capital, the most notable likely current Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson.

Little did he or the Longhorns know, they may have a second version of the star halfback on their roster ahead of the 2026 season, and he has already impressed the Texas coaching staff with his speed and versatility, mirroring that of the 2023 first-round draft pick.

And the fact that he chose to don No. 5 on his jersey should tell us the rest of what we need to know.

"He's A Really Versatile Player"

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian congratulates running back Bijan Robinson (5) after scoring a touchdown in the second half of the game against the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Texas running back Derrek Cooper committed to the Longhorns in July of 2025, and is currently the 10th-ranked running back in the 2026 class according to 247Sports, finishing up his senior year at Chaminade-Madonna High School in Hollywood, Florida.

Sarkisian spoke on the back's skill set earlier this week after practice, praising his dual-threat abilities that again mirror that of Robinson.

"What I like about him is that I've never felt that our practice field is too big for him," Sarkisian said of Cooper. "He takes the ball, he runs, and when he has an opportunity to make plays in the passing game, he does. He's a really versatile player that way. He's a great kid, we're fortunate to have him."

In an interview with ESPN, Cooper's father, Corey, talked about the coaches in Austin comparing his son's build to Robinson, as well as Derrek's want to have a skill set like that.

"They've talked about his skill set and compared his build to Bijan Robinson," said the father. "He wants to run, he wants to be able to catch the ball out of the backfield, he wants to line up at wide receiver. He wants to show that he has all the skills to play at the next level, and they're going to let him do that at Texas."

Of course, Cooper will have to wait his turn behind Raleek Brown and Hollywood Smothers if he is looking for any kind of starting job in the backfield, unless he can really channel his inner Bijan and shock everybody throughout training camp.

A tall task for somebody still in high school, but not totally impossible.

Cooper and the Longhorns will begin their first season together on September 5 when they open DKR's doors to their fellow Texans from San Marcos as they take on the Texas State Bobcats.

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