Cooper Witten

Physical Profile

Listed at 6-2, 210 lbs. Taller than 29% and heavier than 29% of 2027 Linebacker prospects in the SEC Scouts database (34 with a listed size).

Play Style

Witten plays like a modern hybrid linebacker who is fast to read, fast to trigger and fast to finish. On film he reads guard-to-back keys and fills downhill, and his speed lets him beat blockers to the spot rather than always taking them on. In coverage his safety past shows: he opens his hips smoothly, carries seam routes, and sees the quarterback's eyes in zone drops. He pursues sideline to sideline and is a reliable open-field tackler. Liberty Christian moves him around the formation, from the box to overhang to occasional blitzes, which shows his versatility and positional understanding.

Strengths

• Speed and range: 10.91 100m speed lets him run down outside zone and screens from the box and cover ground on the second level. That is well above what is typical for a 220-pound linebacker.
• Coverage ability from his safety background: he is comfortable carrying tight ends and backs in man coverage and reading quarterbacks in zone. That makes him a three-down option rather than a player who comes off the field on passing downs.
• Instincts and production: 214 tackles across three varsity seasons, including 87 as a junior in 2025. He diagnoses plays early and consistently finishes at the ball, and 247Sports' Gabe Brooks singled out his 'relentless motor.'
• Downhill physicality: he triggers fast against the run and strikes with finishing power instead of catching ball carriers. That toughness is often missing in converted safeties.
• Football IQ and pedigree: he was raised around NFL-level preparation, and his film shows a player who processes offensive keys well beyond typical high school linebackers.

Areas to Improve

• Taking on blocks: at 220 pounds he needs to add functional mass and refine his hand use to take on and shed pulling guards and climbing centers. Against SEC offensive lines he cannot rely on speed to run around blocks.
• Competition level: Liberty Christian plays in the TAPPS/private-school circuit, below Texas 6A. His processing speed and tackling in space have to be proven against SEC-caliber skill players, so camp and all-star snaps against elite competition matter.
• Pass rush: if Oklahoma uses him as an overhang or pressure player, he needs a real plan of moves off the edge beyond timing blitzes. He wins on effort and angles more than technique there right now.

College Projection

He projects as a Will or star-type linebacker in Brent Venables' Oklahoma defense, which values exactly this speed-and-coverage profile. His football maturity and physicality give him a realistic path to special teams and rotational snaps as a true freshman in 2027. With a year of strength work he should be a starting candidate by 2028. If he reaches about 230 pounds while keeping his speed, he has multi-year All-SEC potential and could become the defense's signal-caller by his third season.

NFL Outlook

He has legitimate Day 1-2 draft potential. The NFL increasingly prizes linebackers who can run and cover, and 10.9-level speed plus safety-caliber coverage at linebacker is a premium trait set. His development path is lower-risk than most five-stars because of his instincts, motor and NFL-family preparation. His draft value will depend on getting to 230-plus pounds without losing speed and on proving he can take on blocks against SEC offensive lines. If he checks those boxes, he fits the mold of a three-down NFL Will linebacker.

Best Fit

A multiple, pressure-heavy defense that uses nickel and dime looks and asks its linebackers to cover as well as fill, such as Venables' Oklahoma system. That scheme rewards his speed, coverage background and instincts while hiding his current size limits against downhill power. An old-style two-down Mike role in a heavy 4-3 would waste his coverage ability and expose him to too many blocks from interior linemen.