Cooper ready to prove himself all over again
Rivals100 defensive Jonathon Cooper has earned a reputation for a relentless competitor and he's ready for the next challenge at Ohio State.
There wasn't much suspense when it came to Gahanna (Ohio) Lincoln defensive end Jonathon Cooper's enrollment at Ohio State. The 6-foot-3, 238-pound prospect not only enrolled early following his Army Bowl appearance, but he signed his financial aid paperwork way back in August, the first member of the class to do so.
"I just did it to show them that they could trust me," Cooper said at the time. "We have a great relationship that is built on trust between myself and the people at Ohio State. I'm very close with all of the coaches so it just made sense."
Cooper's recruitment was only slightly more eventful than his enrollment process. He checked into programs such as Kentucky, Michigan State, and Notre Dame, but during his junior season issued a verbal commitment to Buckeyes' head coach Urban Meyer, which he would then make public following the season.
The next several months following his commitment were filled with plenty of excitement, however. In February he began his tour of terror on the camp circuit. He dominated the Best of the Midwest combine in the winter, then moved on to dominant efforts during the spring and summer at the Atlanta Rivals Camp, the Columbus Nike Camp, The Rivals Five-Star Challenge, and The Opening.
When the dust had settled, Cooper was unanimously seen as one of the nation's top defensive end prospects. He was no longer a secret, known only to those inside I-270. His drive to prove any doubters wrong and to constantly prove himself will face its biggest challenge now as he moves to the next goal of his development process, dominating at a program like Ohio State.
If you've bet against Cooper in the last two years, you've lost and you've lost big. Cooper comes into the program motivated to play early and will do whatever it takes to make that happen, whether it's coming in as a pass rushing specialist or playing any of the special teams, the Rivals100 product is determined to make his impact felt from the start.
Ultimately, that is how things should play out for Cooper early on. Some special teams work and some work as a situational pass rusher. Getting an early jump by enrolling early and getting into the strength and conditioning program in January as opposed to June, should allow him to pack on some extra weight, which he'll need to hold up at the next level.