First, it was Atlanta for Nike's The Opening regionals, where he didn't lose a rep. Then Baltimore and Rivals.com Five-Star Challenge where he destroyed everything in his path. Then Columbus for another Nike regional and an invite to The Opening. Finally, Oregon last week and a shot to prove himself against the best of best at Nike's premier event.
Everywhere he went, Jonathon Cooper, a 6-foot-3, 238-pound defensive end from Gahanna Lincoln High School outside of Columbus, dominated.
Camp settings, especially when you're restricted to t-shirts and shorts, don't necessarily give the best look at a football player, but when they annihilate everyone in their path the way that Cooper did this summer, it's not a surprise that he's seen a rapid-rise in the recruiting rankings nationally.
Today, 247Sports.com became the first of the "Big Three" scouting networks to give the Ohio State pledge a well-deserved bump into a five-star prospect.
From 247Sports.com Director of Scouting Barton Simmons:
Cooper is the final new addition to the five-star ranks. His new spot is No. 17 in the country. He was the least likely candidate to add a fifth star coming into the event and makes the biggest jump, up from No. 56 in the country. He's not prototypical in size at 6-3 but he's steadily added good weight that he carries well at 239 pounds, he's athletic but not freakish (4.79 40) and he's one-dimensional right now as purely a pass-rusher. We're betting on Cooper though. We're betting that the Ohio State commit continues to develop at the rapid pace he's on, we're betting that the intangibles, character and motor that he's displayed in camp settings will continue to carry over. And we're betting that this fall, he shows the run-stuffing ability that we haven't been able to evaluate in camps.
Cooper earned praise as much for his performance on the field as his demeanor and leadership off it. He as good a young man as any in the country and there's no doubt that he deserves the nod because his body of work, his work-ethic and character make him a no-brainer for the lofty status.
Here's a few of the highlights that made Cooper a worthwhile candidate on the field last week in Oregon.
Michigan vs Ohio State. Michael Onwenu vs Jonathon Cooper https://t.co/F6ofv9v1jr
— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) July 10, 2015
Onwenu vs Cooper again. https://t.co/iiTZ9XAZyF
— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) July 10, 2015
Cooper didn't win them all out west, but losing this rep to Onwenu, and how he subsequently bounced back, is exactly what makes him such a special prospect.
Michael Onwenu stuffed Jonathon Cooper. Michigan vs Ohio State https://t.co/7alrVMG8wD
— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) July 10, 2015
Jonathan Cooper gets to the QB on the next rep against Onwenu. Nice battle brewing https://t.co/WllHkn9PYp
— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) July 10, 2015
Then, the Buckeye commitment delivered the finishing move.
Cooper gets Onwenu on the third and final rep. https://t.co/EfsVGXUrVP
— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) July 10, 2015
Cooper, Ohio State's lone five-star commitment in the 2016 recruiting class at this point, could be joined in the coming weeks by another five-star defensive end as Nick Bosa is expected to make his college choice soon.
Bosa (No. 2), Cooper (No. 4) and Terrell Hall (No. 10) would give the Buckeyes one of the best defensive end groups in recent recruiting history.
