It looks like Ohio State is losing one of its highly-touted freshman receivers.
After just one season at Ohio State, freshman wide receiver Mookie Cooper has entered his name in the NCAA transfer portal. 247Sports' Chris Hummer was the first to report the news.
I would like to publicly thank the entire Ohio State community for the time they invested in me and the bonds I have made. But I have made the decision to enter the transfer portal and take my talents to a new home!
— BIGMOOK (@mcgetbusy1) December 24, 2020
The No. 93 overall player and No. 16 receiver in the 2020 recruiting class, Cooper was the lowest-rated of the four top-100 players Ohio State signed at receiver in the class and was the only freshman receiver not to see the field for the Buckeyes this season.
Cooper had not played competitive football for over a year before arriving at Ohio State after he was ruled ineligible to play his senior season following a transfer from his private school to public school.
Though he understood there were players ahead of him on the depth chart and he would have to work hard after being sidelined for over a year, Cooper expected to contribute for the Buckeyes this season.
“I expect to get on the field,” Cooper said in the offseason. “I’m not gonna say I’m gonna start, but I expect to get on the field. There’s some guys ahead of me, but I feel like the way our receiver room and how it works, I feel like I’m gonna be able to get some reps in, learn from the older guys and just be able to develop. And when my time fully comes in, that’s when my time comes.”
After a year off from football, Cooper was eager to get on the field and make plays wherever he could.
“I just want to help as much as I can,” Cooper said. “I know our wide receiver room is big, but I’m just going to work on busting my tail every day, and then just whatever the coaches feel like is the best spot for me to go, I’m going to just do that.”
Ultimately, Cooper did not play a single snap for the Buckeyes in a shortened season, and now he will likely continue his career elsewhere.
Ohio State is still loaded with young, talented receivers for the future, though, including Julian Fleming, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Gee Scott Jr. in his freshman class as well as class of 2021 signees Emeka Egbuka, Jayden Ballard and Marvin Harrison Jr. – each also top-100 prospects – who will arrive in January as early enrollees.
Cooper is the first Buckeye to leave for the transfer portal since Jaelen Gill – a similar prospect who also arrived as a top-100 recruit, but never earned significant playing time as a hybrid slot receiver/running back – chose to leave the program in April, ultimately transferring to Boston College.
