Texas Tech targets prolific linebacker Cameron Cooper, seeking a Big 12 game-changer with proven production and instant defensive impact.
Texas Tech isn't waiting for the portal dust to settle.
The Red Raiders are already lining up chess pieces for the next roster reload, and one of the more intriguing defenders on the market is now officially on the calendar as Western Colorado linebacker Cameron Cooper is set to visit Texas Tech on Jan. 3, giving Joey McGuire's staff an early swing at a rising name with real production behind the hype.
Cooper is a 6-2, 235-pound linebacker who has spent the last two seasons stacking stats like a player trying to force the sport to take notice of him.
Over that span, he's posted 147 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks, three interceptions, and two forced fumbles. He was also named first-team All-RMAC this season, the kind of conference recognition that usually triggers a scramble once the portal opens.
And yes, the portal opened for him on Dec. 2, meaning the race is on.
Texas Tech won't be the only program in the mix. Cooper also has a visit scheduled with San Diego State, and with his blend of production, durability, and versatility, he's the type of linebacker who tends to collect interest fast once coaches turn on the tape.
Because the tape is the point.
Cooper pops immediately with how quickly he sees the play. He diagnoses run concepts with patience, stays square, and then triggers downhill like he's been waiting for permission to wreck the backfield.
He doesn't waste steps, and he doesn't need chaos around him to make tackles. That matters in the Big 12, where offenses spread you out, tempt you into bad angles, then punish you when you guess wrong.
He also brings pressure value without needing a defensive coordinator to draw up something exotic.
As a blitzer, Cooper times it well, uses his length to knife through interior gaps, and creates disruption the simple way ... by getting there.
That’s a clean fit for a Texas Tech defense that likes to mess with protections through simulated pressures and creative looks.
The other underrated part is the volume. Cooper played all 13 games as both a freshman and a sophomore. He wasn't protected. He wasn't rotated into easy reps. He handled the workload and kept producing.
That's why this visit matters. Texas Tech isn't just hunting depth, it's hunting answers, especially against Big 12 spread-to-run teams, where linebacker discipline decides whether you're a contender or a highlight reel for the wrong reason.
Cooper brings run-fit reliability, three-down potential, and real ball production, which is the rare combo that turns a portal add into a season-changer.
Jan. 3 is Texas Tech's first chance to sell the vision. If Cooper buys it, the Red Raiders may have found the kind of transfer linebacker who can once again help dominate offenses.