Tennessee football appeared to have a leg up on the competition in the recruitment of five-star linebacker Cooper Witten. His father, Jason Witten, was a Vols legend at tight end during his time on Rocky Top.
However, Jason Witten took the job as the tight ends coach at Oklahoma, throwing a major wrench into things. On Tuesday, Cooper Witten decided he would follow his father to Norman, according to a report from Hayes Fawcett.
Cooper Witten is considered a five-star recruit by 247 Composite. He is the No. 25 player in the country, No. 2 linebacker and No. 4 player out of Texas. He plays for Liberty Christian, where his father was previously the head coach before taking the job at OU.
BREAKING: Elite 2027 LB Cooper Witten has Committed to Oklahoma, he tells me for @Rivals
The 6’2 215 LB from Argyle, TX chose the Sooners over Tennessee, Texas A&M, and Georgia
He’s the son of 11-time Pro Bowler and Oklahoma TE Coach Jason Wittenhttps://t.co/rdVVkDZfoo pic.twitter.com/HjNAT251qv
Advertisement— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) March 3, 2026
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Cooper Witten made it to UT’s campus numerous times in the recruiting process. This included a trip to Knoxville for Tennessee’s loss to Georgia during the 2025 season.
His father, Jason Witten, played at Tennessee from 2000-2002 before being selected with the 69th overall pick in the 3rd round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Cowboys. Out of Elizabethton, Tennessee, he was named a First-Team All-SEC player in 2002.
So far, Tennessee has landed four commitments in the 2027 class. The Vols boast four-star offensive lineman Princeton Uwaifo as the headliner, with four-star Kadin Fife also in the boat. However, Fife is apparently back in the evaluation process after defensive staff changes.
Three-star quarterback Derrick Baker and legacy linebacker JP Peace are also committed. More commitments are expected to roll in throughout the offseason as the class heats up, though.
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