Miami, FL
Five-star RB Derrek Cooper commits to Texas over Miami, others
The Texas Longhorns continued their recruiting hot streak on Sunday, adding a commitment at a position of need with the addition of Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna running back Derrek Cooper over the Florida State Seminoles, Georgia Bulldogs, Miami Hurricanes, and Ohio State Buckeyes.
BREAKING: Elite 2026 RB Derrek Cooper has Committed to Texas, he tells me for @rivals
The 6’2 210 RB from Fort Lauderdale, FL chose the Longhorns over Miami & Georgia
He’s ranked as the No. 2 RB in the ‘26 Class
“Terry blacks I’m on my way!”https://t.co/99qeVUfHrm pic.twitter.com/z37EOSD89Q
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 20, 2025
Cooper was long considered to be a Miami lean coming out of the summer visit season with the hometown Hurricanes looking to add their second five-star player in the class. However, with the Longhorns’ high-profile misses on KJ Edwards and Ezavier Crowell, position coach Chad Scott and the recruiting staff turned up the heat on the elite back to fill one of the major holes in the recruiting class.
The No. 29 player in the country and the No. 2 player in Florida, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings, Cooper pledges to Texas without yet taking his official visit to Austin, instead opting for an unofficial visit in April and plans to trip to the Forty Acres during the fall. That may prove beneficial later in the cycle, affording Texas the ability to formally host him in Austin closer to Early Signing Day, as teams try to flip him.
At 6’1, 205 pounds, Cooper is a unique mix of power and speed, qualifying for the state track finals in the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes as a sophomore. While the Horns are recruiting him as a running back, he has played both ways in both of his varsity seasons, rushing for 905 yards and 13 touchdowns while also chipping in 46 tackles and four sacks to lead Chaminade-Madonna to a 1A state championship as a junior.
Cooper becomes commitment No. 21 for Texas and the fifth top-50 player of the cycle for the Longhorns, six spots ahead of John Turntine, in what is rapidly becoming another elite class for Texas.
The Florida product moves the Longhorns to No. 5 in the 247Sports Composite team rankings with the fewest committed players in that group. Cooper also joins quarterback Dia Bell and defensive lineman James Johnson as top-10 players from the Sunshine State to choose the Longhorns, further establishing the Longhorns’ recruiting inroads there.
Film analysis (by Daniel Seahorn):
Cooper is a big, physical back at his listed 6’1, 205 pounds. He is a true three-phase player at the high school level, being the bell-cow running back offensively, while also being featured as a hybrid linebacker/safety defender and a key cog on special teams with multiple blocked punts on tape.
Cooper is a no-nonsense type of runner, as he isn’t the type who is going to waste motion behind the line of scrimmage. He gets downhill in a hurry and wants to get north and south without a bunch of lateral movement. Possesses a good burst when he sticks his foot in the ground and runs very hard and tough behind his pads. Will run through arm tackles regularly and has the shiftiness and quickness to make second and third-level defenders miss in space. Possesses the ability to BYOB (be your own blocker) when things go south in the backfield. Cooper is the type of back that is tough to bring down by one defender, as he is a very stubborn runner and will push a pile of defenders down the field.
Cooper has good, reliable hands out of the backfield as a receiver on tape and shows the ability to take short passes for large chunks of yardage. He possesses the speed on tape where he can punish bad angles and rip off explosive plays.
I love Cooper’s overall makeup because I think his toughness and willingness as a defender complement his running style as a back. He isn’t going to shy away from contact, and he is going to make you earn it anytime he touches the ball. Only carried the ball 124 times in 2024 and averaged 9.3 yards per carry, so there is still plenty of tread left on the tires as a runner. Has the ability to be a bell-cow back at the next level or be the thunder to someone’s lightning.
Miami, FL
Miami Heat-Minnesota Timberwolves Final Injury Update: Anthony Edwards’ status divulged
The Minnesota Timberwolves announced that guard Anthony Edwards is now available to play in Tuesday night’s game against the Miami Heat after originally being listed as questionable with right foot injury maintenance.
Here’s the rest of the injury report and game preview:
INJURY REPORT
HEAT
Tyler Herro: Available – Toe
Jaime Jaquez Jr.: Out – Ankle
Nikola Jovic: Available – Groin
Terry Rozier: Out – Not with team
TIMBERWOLVES
Anthony Edwards: Available – Foot
Terrence Shannon Jr.: Out – Foot
Joan Beringer: Out – G League
Game date, time and location: Tuesday, Jan. 6, 8:00 p.m. EST, Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
TV: TV: Peacock,
Radio: 104.3 FM (Miami/Ft. Lauderdale), ESPN 106.3 FM, (West Palm Beach), FOX Sports Radio 105.9 FM (Ft. Myers/Naples), 1450 AM (Suart), 97.7 FM (Florida Keys), WAQI 710 AM (Spanish-language broadcast, South Florida) 100.3 FM (Minnesota)
VITALS: The Miami Heat (20-16) and Minnesota Timberwolves (23-13) meet for the second and final regular season matchup after just facing off three days ago with Minnesota recording a, 125-115, win in Miami on January 3. The teams split the series, 1-1, last season with each squad winning on the road. The Heat are 36-35 all-time versus Minnesota during the regular season,
including 19-16 in home games and 17-19 in road games.
PROJECTED STARTERS
HEAT
G Davion Mitchell
G Tyler Herro
C Bam Adebayo
F Norman Powell
F Andrew Wiggins
TIMBERWOLVES
G Donte DiVincenzo
G Anthony Edwards
C Rudy Gobert
F Jaden McDaniels
F Julius Randle
Spread: Heat +5.5 (-112), Timberwolves -5.5 (-108)
Moneyline: Heat +166, Timberwolves -198
Total points scored: 239.5 (over -106, under -114)
QUOTABLE
Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra on the forced turnovers: “That is and has to be our identity. We have to play with a recklessness and activity level that exceeds our opponent, and thats not to put down our talent level or anything like that, it’s more about we look different when we’re flying around and making plays and making it tough for the opponent.”
For more Miami Heat information and conversation, check out Off The Floor.
Alexander Toledo is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI and producer/co-host of the Five on the Floor podcast, covering the Heat and NBA. He can be reached at Twitter: @tropicalblanket
Miami, FL
Man shot during $22,000 gold chain robbery at Supreme store in Miami’s Design District; Atlanta suspects arrested
Three men were arrested Saturday after a robbery inside a Miami clothing store left a man shot and hospitalized, according to Miami police and arrest affidavits.
The incident happened Friday afternoon in Miami’s popular Design District neighborhood.
Police said officers were dispatched around 4:20 p.m. Friday to the area of Miami Avenue and Northeast 41st Street after receiving reports of a man who had been shot. Officers found the victim, who told them he had been robbed and shot while shopping inside a Supreme store located at 45 NE 41st Street.
According to investigators, the victim said he was approached by three suspects inside the store, including one person with whom he had a prior conflict originating from the Atlanta area. Police said an argument broke out, and one suspect forcibly removed a gold chain from the victim’s neck. The chain was valued at approximately $22,000, according to police.
As the suspect ran out of the store, the victim attempted to chase him, police said. During the pursuit, an unidentified male shot the victim once in the stomach. The suspects then fled the area in a white Mercedes-Benz, according to the arrest affidavits.
Miami Police detectives later located the suspect vehicle parked near Northeast 10th Avenue and Northeast 91st Terrace. Police said they conducted surveillance and observed the suspects abandon the vehicle and walk through a nearby residential area before entering a home in the 800 block of Northeast 90th Street.
A residential search warrant was executed, resulting in the arrest of three suspects. During the search, detectives recovered the victim’s gold chain, keys to the suspect vehicle, and clothing believed to have been worn during the robbery, police said.
The suspects were identified as Jamar McKay, 25, Omarion Phillips, 20, and Kevieon Smith, 21. McKay was charged with armed robbery with a firearm or deadly weapon. Phillips and Smith were charged as accessories after the fact, with Smith also facing an additional firearms-related charge, according to court records.
“This arrest sends a clear message: violent crime will not be tolerated in the City of Miami,” Miami Police Chief Manuel Morales said in a statement. “Individuals who commit acts of violence in our city will be identified, located, and held fully accountable.”
Miami, FL
Miami Hurricanes arrive in Phoenix to continue Fiesta Bowl preparations
Miami Hurricanes arrive in Phoenix
Miami Hurricanes arrive in Phoenix on Jan. 5, 2026, ahead of their matchup with the Ole Miss Rebels at the 2026 Vrbo Fiesta Bowl.
The Miami Hurricanes are looking to buck a bad trend. They’re 0-4 in the Fiesta Bowl.
Coach Mario Cristobal’s team gets its fifth shot this week as Miami (12-2) squares off against Mississippi (13-1) in the Fiesta Bowl at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 8 at State Farm Stadium. The school may be 0-4 historically, but there is plenty at stake. This Fiesta Bowl is serving as a College Football Playoff semifinal.
The Hurricanes, the No. 10 seed in the 12-team playoff field, arrived at 5 p.m. Monday, Jan. 5, at the Ragsdale Executive Terminal of Sky Harbor Airport. The opposing team is expected 24 hours later.
The gathered crowd of 100 or so was made of members of the Fiesta Bowl Committee, easily identifiable in their yellow jackets, and their families.
In the past, there had been a welcome event in a tent adjacent to the runway. The coach typically made an opening statement, but players and coaches walked off the plane and straight to their buses parked nearby.
Players, dressed in white sweatsuits, filed off their American Airlines flight in single file on a blue carpet.
The players will take part in a media day on Jan. 6 at a Scottsdale hotel, with the coaches talking to the media the following day, the eve of the contest.
The Hurricanes enter on the heels of a six-game winning streak. Their last loss came on Nov. 1 against SMU, a game decided in double overtime 26-20. They have surrendered just 17 points in their two postseason games.
The winner advances to the national championship game on Jan. 19 against the winner of the other semifinal, the Peach Bowl between Oregon and Indiana.
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