The Miami Hurricanes are currently working on getting their 2025 recruiting class sorted and locked down! They already are involved in what is a huge tussle with Wisconsin over cornerback Xavier Lucas. This might be a historic battle when it’s all set and done with the Big Ten intervening in the most recent update. On the other hand, Mario Cristobal and his crew are hitting huge strides to land one of the top prospects of the 2026 class.

Yes, you heard us right. The Hurricanes are in talks with Chaminade Madonna’s star, Derreck Cooper! He’s the next big thing coming out of the State of Florida. Cooper is a 6-foot-1, 200-pounder two-way player who can play both as a running back and as safety, that too at a high level. Furthermore, this has led him to draw comparisons with another two-way threat and this season’s Heisman Trophy winner, Travis Hunter. This is great news not only for Canes’ faithful but also for Carson Beck, who will have a new Travis Hunter-esque teammate.

So, is Derreck Cooper the next Travis Hunter? Well, “He plays both ways at Chaminade Madonna, and he plays it at a high level, you know, just like you know, Travis Hunter did in this past year winning the Heisman. I’m not necessarily saying he’s the next Travis Hunter, but he could be he definitely could be,” said Marcus Benjamin on the “Locked on Canes” podcast. Suggesting that Cooper could be one of the best up-and-coming two-way players given his ability to play both positions. However, Cooper has yet to commit to the Canes, but he seems to be inclined towards his home state’s university.

He currently has 26 offers but is touted to select Miami, given he’s made a couple of unofficial visits and seems to have a great relationship with Mario Cristobal and his staff. This also leads us to another question, will Miami allow Cooper to play at multiple positions?

“I don’t see why not. I think if you run into any depth issues, which you know we kind of saw last season in secondary, then I don’t see why you don’t play a guy like him at safety or running back,” said Benjamin. Stating that if he ends up in Miami, they should allow him to play both positions something players like Hunter have already done in the past.

Big Ten with Wisconsin as they battle Miami over cornerback Xavier Lucas

The tensions between Miami and Wisconsin keep rising! Lucas withdrew from Wisconsin and, earlier this month, reportedly enrolled at Miami. Furthermore, Wisconsin in its statement said that Lucas entered a “binding two-year NIL agreement” and a separate one with the school’s collective. They also stated that they have “credible information indicating an impermissible contract between Xavier and the University of Miami.”

The Big Ten also issued their statement on the matter, calling the “tampering and contract interference” by Miami “very troubling.” Moreover, the Big Ten leans with the alleged contractual agreements between Lucas and Wisconsin. As per Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger, the Big Ten issues a template that binds all players who sign a revenue-sharing agreement including Xavier Lucas, grants the school the player’s non-exclusive rights to use and market their NIL.

Well, this is not the end! Breaking such an agreement with Wisconsin could trigger litigation from them onto Lucas and/or Miami. On the other hand, the NCAA does not stop a player from unenrolling from an institution, enrolling at a new one, and competing immediately. Overall, this case is nowhere near its end and can set a number of precedents and decide the future of the control programs have over the players and how contracts are tied to their playing status.