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DE Jonathon Cooper (2nd Team All American, Denver Broncos)

BETTER KNOW A BUCKEYE: JONATHON COOPER

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Our "Better Know a Buckeye" series continues with its third installment. We profile Jonathon Cooper, one of the crown jewels of Ohio State's 2016 recruiting class. 247sports' evaluators rate Cooper as a five-star prospect (composite: four-star) and Ohio State's second best overall prospect behind Nick Bosa.

Cooper had a meteoric rise starting in 2014. Do not mistake Gahanna Lincoln for a high school football talent factory. The school is overshadowed by the two Pickerington schools within its own Ohio Division of the Ohio Capital Conference. The school had not produced a football signee in the Rivals era before Cooper signed with Ohio State. The last alumnus to sign with Ohio State on a football scholarship was Don Davis in 1989. Cooper will leave quite the legacy at Gahanna Lincoln as he starts his career at Ohio State.

This profile proceeds in the usual fashion. I first discuss his excellent summer camp circuit in 2014, which led to the coveted Ohio State offer. I then discuss the reasons for his November 14, 2014 commitment. I proceed with a scouting report on Cooper, who is already enrolled at Ohio State. I conclude with a projection of whether Cooper is a redshirt and some highlight film for the reader to watch at the end of the feature.

HIS RECRUITMENT
Let the previous tidbit about Jonathon Cooper's legacy underscore his rise from obscurity at Gahanna Lincoln. The high school does not produce a lot of football talent and is overshadowed by the two Pickerington schools in its own division.

The Lincoln Golden Lions finished a 3-7 season in 2013 when Cooper began to hit the camp circuit early in 2014. It started with the Best of the Midwest Combine in February. Cooper had a great performance at that Indianapolis combine. 247's recap pegged Cooper as the best 2016 defensive line prospect in attendance and placed him on the Best of the Midwest All-Combine Team.

Illinois immediately rewarded Cooper for his performance with a scholarship offer, his first. Cooper expressed excitement over the offer and for the university's engineering program, but had no timetable for an early decision.

Cooper picked up more interest through the spring, but not necessarily more offers. Kentucky's scholarship offer came two days after the Illinois offer. Cooper took several unofficial visits to programs like Kentucky, Michigan, and Ohio State before the end of his sophomore year. Only Indiana stepped forward with another offer at the end of May.

The end of the school year allowed Cooper to invest more time in the camp circuit. He had stays at Kentucky, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, and Tennessee all before he participated in Ohio State's dedicated Friday Night Lights event on July 25, 2014.

Entire article: http://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-...2/68227/better-know-a-buckeye-jonathon-cooper
 
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Nick Bosa Isn't Ohio State's Only Freshman Talent at Defensive End

Quick, who led Ohio State in sacks in 2015? If your mind first went to Joey Bosa, the standout defensive end for the Buckeyes who was drafted with the No. 3 overall pick in this spring’s NFL Draft, you wouldn’t be the only one.

It was actually Tyquan Lewis, the other starting defensive end, who stood atop the sack numbers with eight. Bosa was not second either, finishing third on the team behind redshirt freshman Sam Hubbard.

While Joey Bosa was certainly great during his time in the Scarlet and Gray, and his name will forever be etched in Ohio State history, he often overshadowed players who also deserved credit for the Buckeyes’ recent defensive success.

A player who might already be doing the same thing before even stepping on the field is Joey’s younger brother Nick. While the next Bosa rightfully has high expectations as he prepares for his first year in college football, he is not the only highly-touted defensive end in OSU’s 2016 recruiting class.

Jonathon Cooper grew up in the shadows of Ohio Stadium, graduating from Gahanna Lincoln High School. Depending on the recruiting site, the defensive end is either a 4- or 5-star prospect, but was the third-ranked player at his position according to the 247Sports Composite.

Of the incoming freshmen, Bosa has received most of the attention despite recovering from an ACL tear suffered during his senior football season. Ranked as the best defensive end out high school in the country and coming from a family that has a proven track record, the hoopla surrounding Bosa is deserved.

Meanwhile, Cooper is quietly going about his business along with some of the other early enrollees at Ohio State.

“I love coaching a good kid, good student, good guy that does everything right,” head coach Urban Meyer said this spring. “So we had four of them come in, Michael Jordan, Austin Mack, Jonathon Cooper and Antonio Williams. To answer, ‘How do you like coaching those guys?’ I love them. They’re over 3.0 students. I don’t know if they’ve missed a class yet, and they do everything right.”

Entire article: http://theozone.net/Ohio-State/Foot...-States-Only-Freshman-Talent-at-Defensive-End
 
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OSU Defensive End Jonathon Cooper: ‘It’s my turn to step up’

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If you ask the average Ohio State football fan what they’re looking forward to seeing this season, they likely won’t get far before mentioning defensive ends Nick Bosa and Chase Young.

Those are certainly understandable answers. Bosa is the reigning Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year, and Young came in last season as a 5-star signee with huge hype and equal expectations. Together, the two of them should be dynamic.

They aren’t the only former 5-star defensive ends on the roster, however. They are also joined by junior Jonathon Cooper, who isn’t getting nearly the attention that his teammates have received this spring.

Cooper played in every game last season for the Buckeyes, playing on special teams and getting action on defense here and there. Given the players he played behind last season, as well as the two he is competing with this spring, it would seem easy enough for Cooper to feel like he’s been overlooked.

He’s not worried about it, though.

“I don’t feel like I’m overlooked,” he said. “I know Chase and Nick, and they’re both amazing players. I just like to think I’m an amazing player too. I wish nothing but the best for those guys. I know that Chase has a lot of hype around him and Nick Bosa has a lot of hype around him. I would like to think that I have a lot of hype around me too, but it’s okay, it’s going to come.”

Cooper has bigger things to worry about, specifically making sure the Rushmen don’t take a step back from where they were a year ago.

“I don’t really pay attention to it or worry about it,” he said. “I just know that we’ve all got to work together to make the Rushmen even better. I don’t feel like I’m overlooked. I think all of us three together are working just as hard.”

Cooper has played in a total of 20 games in his career and has compiled 21 tackles, four tackles for loss, and three sacks. Each of his first two years were spent watching veterans Sam Hubbard, Tyquan Lewis, and Jalyn Holmes command the bulk of the reps, along with Nick Bosa.

Now that he is slated for a role in the four-man rotation at defensive end, he is excited about what is to come. Cooper doesn’t consider his first two seasons “waiting his turn” because he was fighting to see the field in every practice. Considering the talent the Buckeyes already had at the position, however, there were only so many snaps to go around.

“I would say I was working as hard as I could just to be a part of those guys,” Cooper said. “I wouldn’t say ‘waiting my turn,’ but I would say it’s my turn to step up. Of course I came in here thinking that I want to play and support the team and help in any way I can. Coming in a 5-star, five stars, I don’t really think that means too much. I’m just giving it all I’ve got.”

Defensive line coach Larry Johnson saw the potential in Cooper throughout recruiting. He worked him out at camps and saw what Cooper could do. He is one of the most athletic defensive ends in the nation and he is putting the rest of his game together in preparation for 2018.

“I think Jonathon Cooper brings a lot to the plate,” Johnson said. “I’m really pleased with where he’s at right now. He’s gotten a chance to get on the field and play special teams, but he’s got a chance to make an impact at the defensive end position. He’s had a really great winter. Did a great job in the weight room. Gotten stronger. Gotten bigger. And this is his moment right now, it really is. He’s doing everything he can to make sure he grabs it.”

Entire article: https://theozone.net/2018/03/ohio-state-jonathon-cooper-turn/
 
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FIVE FORMER FIVE-STAR RECRUITS SET FOR FIRST MEANINGFUL PLAYING TIME THIS SEASON

JONATHON COOPER – 2016 CLASS – DE

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Jonathon Cooper, rated as a five-star prospect by 247sports, was Ohio State's second highest-rated player in the 2016 class, behind only Nick Bosa.

Cooper came to Columbus undoubtably talented, but joined Ohio State's deepest and most talented unit, meaning playing time his first two seasons was scarce. In two years, Cooper has just 22 tackles, four tackles for a loss and three sacks.

This year, even though he's unlikely to start, Cooper figures to be an integral part of the defensive line rotation and will likely get the nod on third downs as part of Ohio State's famed Rushmen package, getting the four best pass rushers on the field.

Entire article: https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...for-first-meaningful-playing-time-this-season
 
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