New Oklahoma tight ends coach Jason Witten is bringing some five-star luggage with him.
On3's Hayes Fawcett reported on Tuesday that 2027 five-star linebacker Cooper Witten, the son of Jason, has committed to the Sooners, which had been anticipated since his dad was hired in early January.
Cooper Witten, son of Jason Witten, commits to Sooners
Boomer Sooner!! https://t.co/3jfKaPKn2C
— Cooper Witten (@CooperWitten_) March 3, 2026
Even before head coach Brent Venables ever dreamed of adding Jason, a future Pro Football Hall of Famer, to his staff, he already wanted Cooper to be part of his program. OU was the first major program to offer Cooper way back on June 8, 2024, before Witten exploded as one of the best prospects in the 2027 class. The Sooners likely would have landed Cooper regardless, but his dad being on staff seemed to make things a lock.
Since, Cooper's offers list now includes just about everyone with Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Clemson, Kentucky, LSU, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Oregon, SMU, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, USC and more.
In November, Cooper had released a list of top-10 schools that included the Sooners with Texas, Clemson, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Texas Tech, Georgia, Alabama, Texas A&M and his dad's alma mater, Tennessee. But his dad's current home prevailed over the place he once called home. SEC programs had continued to pursue Cooper even after his dad joined OU's staff, but to no prevail.
According to the 247Sports Composite, Cooper, listed at 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds, is the No. 25 overall prospect in the 2027 class and No. 2 linebacker. He's also the No. 4 overall player in the state of Texas out of Liberty Christian School in Argyle, where his dad was the head coach before taking the OU job.
Cooper's addition to the Sooners' 2027 class was so massive that it immediately propelled them over Texas Tech to have the No. 1 recruiting class in the country, according to Rivals. OU already had the top group based on the 247Sports Composite and 247Sports, even before Cooper joined the mix.
Based on the 247Sports Composite, Cooper is now OU's second-highest rated commit behind only offensive lineman Cooper Hackett. Cooper, Hacket and offensive lineman Kaeden Penny already the Sooners three five-star recruits from the 2027 group, which is more than anyone else in the country. For comparison, OU's 2026 class didn't have a single five-star signee.