Cooper Hackett

Physical Profile

Listed at 6-7, 250 lbs. Taller than 86% and heavier than 0% of 2027 Offensive Tackle prospects in the SEC Scouts database (37 with a listed size).

Play Style

Before the injury, he was a movement-based, athletic tackle who used his length and feet more than power. In pass protection he sets easily and uses his reach to keep rushers from getting into his chest, and he can stay square and recover against inside counters. In the run game he looks best on reach and zone blocks, and when working up to linebackers or pulling in space. At 6A-4A-level competition he often won on athletic advantage alone rather than technique. His basketball-style footwork is the standout trait, and his defensive-line snaps suggest a competitive streak.

Strengths

• Elite length (80+ inch wingspan on a 6-7 frame) lets him reach and cover speed rushers in pass protection and land the first punch — top-tier left tackle tools
• Two-sport athlete: basketball footwork and quick redirection mean a smooth kick-slide and the ability to recover when an edge rusher counters
• Moves well enough for outside-zone blocking and for getting to linebackers at the second level; his defensive-line snaps in high school add competitive toughness and a feel for the line of scrimmage
• Proven production and evaluation before the injury: The Oklahoman All-State second team in 2025, No. 1 player in Oklahoma, and still a Rivals five-star
• Mature decision-making and commitment: chose OU despite a bigger Texas Tech offer and has deep in-state ties, so the risk of him flipping is lower

Areas to Improve

• Mass and play strength: he needs to add a lot of weight without losing movement so he can hold up against power and bull rushes from SEC defensive linemen
• Health and durability: he needs to fully recover from the left labrum repair and rebuild upper-body strength. The shoulder had bothered him since his freshman year, so medical checks and his first college offseason are key
• Staying sharp without a senior year: he loses a full season of live reps against Class 4A competition, so hand placement, pad level and run-blocking finish will be rusty and must be rebuilt on OU's practice field
• Pad level and leverage: very tall, lean tackles tend to play high in the run game, so he needs to sink his hips and stay low on drive blocks

College Projection

He will likely enroll early at Oklahoma after the 2026 season. If he stays in Norman, a redshirt in 2027 is most likely, spent on shoulder recovery, strength and nutrition work, and adding weight toward 300+ lb, with some reserve or special-teams snaps within the four-game redshirt limit. His realistic path is to compete for a starting tackle job (left tackle ideally, right tackle as a fallback) in 2028 as a redshirt freshman. If he recovers well and gains weight quickly, he becomes a multi-year starter from 2028 to 2030. If his development or health stalls, his timeline slips a year.

NFL Outlook

High ceiling. Tackles with his length, feet and basketball-level athleticism are exactly what the NFL drafts early, and his pre-injury evaluation was first-round-tools territory. His realistic range right now is a Day 2 pick with a Day 1 ceiling. That depends on reaching 305-315 lb with his movement intact, the left shoulder holding up through three or more college seasons, and at least two years as a starter at an SEC tackle spot. The shoulder medical and play strength will be the key checkpoints for NFL evaluators.

Best Fit

A patient, well-resourced program with a strong strength-and-nutrition staff and a zone or spread offense that uses tackles in space and asks for pass protection on an island. Oklahoma fits well: in-state ties, the SEC competition he'll need to develop against, and an offense that values tackles who can pass-protect. He gets the most from his skills in outside-zone or pin-and-pull run schemes that reward his length and movement, while he builds the mass to handle downhill gap/power blocking.