Nation's No. 1 linebacker strongly linked to five major college football programs

The most coveted linebacker prospect in the 2027 college football recruiting class and son of an NFL great is getting serious interest from multiple elite programs as the cycle heats up.

Five-star Argyle (Tex.) linebacker Cooper Witten, the son of 11-time Pro Bowl Dallas Cowboys selection and current Oklahoma Sooners tight ends coach Jason Witten, is currently linked with five notable college football programs, according to Rivals.

Who is in the picture?

Rivals vice president Steve Wilfong pinpointed four SEC programs and one from the ACC that are currently getting the most attention from the nation’s top ‘backer.

Chief among the biggest contenders is Oklahoma, where Witten’s father was recently hired on the nation’s sixth-ranked defense, and which currently ranks No. 1 in the 2027 recruiting rankings, according to 247Sports.

Witten also visited recently with Texas A&M, currently placed second nationally behind the Sooners in the overall team rankings in 2027 and also yet to sign a linebacker.

Bulldogs with heavy traction

Georgia is also a major name to watch as Witten continues through his process after he was in person on campus recently over the weekend.

The prospect is particularly high on the Bulldogs’ recent success developing linebackers and believes that their pipeline for defensive players to the NFL is among the best in college football right now, according to Wiltfong.

Clemson and Tennessee reportedly made a strong impression on Witten, whose father left the Volunteers ranked third in school history among tight ends in catches and fourth in yards despite playing just 20 games.

How he ranks as a recruit

Analysts are almost unanimous on Witten being the best linebacker in the country.

ESPN was the outlier, but not by much, naming him the No. 2 ranked prospect at the position and the No. 26 overall player in the nation.

Rivals and 247Sports both consider Witten the top-ranked linebacker, and he is listed as the No. 19 overall prospect, according to an average of the national recruiting services.

Witten has 214 total stops with 13 tackles for loss and 10 quarterback hurries over the last three seasons at Liberty Christian (Tex.), according to MaxPreps.

His best outing came as a junior this past season, racking up 87 combined stops with more than 12 tackles per game on average and 9 negative plays recorded.

What the experts are thinking

Despite the wide range of interest in Witten and his reported interest in the Bulldogs, it’s another SEC titan that currently runs away with the prospect.

Brent Venables and Oklahoma overwhelmingly dominate the latest projections for where Cooper Witten will eventually sign.

The Sooners currently have a strong 93.4 percent chance to earn Witten’s commitment, according to the updated Rivals Recruiting Prediction Machine.

None of the other schools linked to the prospect are rated above 1 percent.

The Sooners are currently given a 100 percent chance to sign Witten, according to the latest 247Sports Crystal Ball.

(Rivals)

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