The reported news that VFL Jason Witten has been hired as the tight ends coach at Oklahoma has immediately come with bad news for Josh Heupel and the Vols’ recruiting program. It now looks like Jason’s son, Cooper, is trending toward joining his father in Norman, OK. Witten is a five-star linebacker in the 2027 recruiting cycle and is ranked as the No. 21 overall player in the class, according to 247Sports’ Composite Rankings.
Rivals’ Steve Wiltfong and Sam Spiegelman both submitted predictions for Oklahoma to land Cooper Witten just hours after Jason Witten’s hiring was reported. Both predictions come in at a 60% confidence level.
In late November, Cooper Witten released his top 10 finalists, with both Tennessee and Oklahoma making the cut. The other programs included Texas, Clemson, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Texas Tech, Georgia, Alabama, and Texas A&M. With both Wiltfong and Spiegelman’s predictions coming so quickly after his father’s news, it looks like Oklahoma could be the runaway favorite moving forward.
Jason Witten has never been in the collegiate coaching landscape before, but he has been the head coach of Liberty Christian High School in Texas since 2021. He’s led the Warriors to a pair of Texas State Championship titles during his time as the head coach. Witten is now using that experience as a springboard to an SEC coaching position as the Sooners’ newest tight ends coach.
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Witten, an 11-time NFL Pro Bowl tight end with the Dallas Cowboys, was also recently named as a finalist for the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame class in his first eligible year on the ballot.
Cooper Witten is one of the most sought-after prospects in the entire 2027 recruiting class. Both 247Sports and On3 Sports have him listed as the No. 1 linebacker in the cycle, and ESPN has him right behind at No. 2 for his position.
“Athletic, physical, likely role-versatile second-level defensive piece who plays with a relentless motor,” 247Sports’ Gabe Brooks wrote about Witten last spring. “Natural football IQ, awareness, instincts, etc. are obvious on tape and on the elite camp circuit.”
Tennessee currently has four commitments in its 2027 recruiting class, including four-star offensive tackle Princeton Uwaifo, three-star defensive lineman Kadin Fife, three-star cornerback Kamauri Whitfield, and three-star linebacker JP Peace, who is the son of VFL Robert Peace and the grandson of former championship-winning coach Phillip Fulmer.
