It looks like Ohio State’s Ryan Day might be the odd man out in the race for five-star linebacker Cooper Witten, the son of legendary Jason Witten. The Buckeyes offered him early and tried to win his heart pretty fast. However, it didn’t last long. The word is the 5-star LB is leaning toward an SEC playoff contender, the Oklahoma Sooners. All thanks to Jason Witten’s new coaching gig.

On February 13th, recruiting specialist Steve Wiltfong hopped onto On3 alongside host Josh Newberg and delivered discouraging news to the Buckeye nation:

“Well, obviously my prediction is on Oklahoma,” Steve Wiltfong said when asked about Cooper’s favorite destination. “The connection with Brent Venables, his history of developing some terrific defensive players, great defenses.

What Oklahoma was able to accomplish this past season, and achieving the college football playoff the way they played defensively. Them hiring his dad, future NFL Hall of Famer Jason Witten, to the staff, Oklahoma’s got a lot going on there.”

The biggest reason Oklahoma emerged as a front-runner in this race is that Jason Witten joined the Sooners back in January. That alone convinced many experts that Cooper is Norman-bound. Not only is Ohio State taking a stray here, even Josh Heupel’s Vols have found themselves on the wrong side of this recruiting.

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The former Cowboys TE is one of the most famous players to ever come out of Tennessee, and many fans assumed Cooper would follow in his father’s footsteps to Knoxville. Tennessee was his first choice, and the Ohio State Buckeyes were a very close second before Witten accepted the tight ends coaching job in Norman. It’s safe to assume the Vols are facing the domino effect.

Still, Wiltfong cautioned against counting Tennessee out one bit.

“Tennessee remains a major contender as they look to get him back in the spring, get him in for an official visit. Now, if Cooper Witten, he’s staying at his current high school, and I think that’s big for Tennessee, because if he would have moved to Norman, that just shows how all in he would already be on the next chapter of his life.”

Even though it looks like Oklahoma is in the driver’s seat, Cooper isn’t rushing out of Texas just yet. He’s actually staying at his high school, Liberty Christian, for his senior year instead of moving to Oklahoma right away. This gives Tennessee a little breathing room for now. On top of that, Jason Witten constantly informed Josh Heupel to keep recruiting his son.

So, is it game over for the Buckeyes? Not necessarily. Ohio State’s expected to get another visit from him in the near future, and they need to make the best out of it. Cooper’s expected to make his official decision this summer. He’s looking for a place where he can carve his own path.

The No. 1 linebacker in the nation has racked up 87 tackles and forced seven fumbles. He’s also a threat on offense, where he caught 41 passes for 709 yards and 12 touchdowns this past year. A two-way impact player of such caliber would thrive in Columbus.

However, if the Buckeyes lose him to Tennessee or the Sooners, who would be the next best replacement?

Replacement for Cooper Witten if things go south

The one thing everybody admires about the Buckeyes is that they aren’t sitting around feeling sorry for themselves. They’ve already made a huge splash for the 2027 class by landing Quinton Cypher, a four-star machine from North Carolina. This LB is an absolute tackle magnet, racking up 181 tackles and over five sacks just last season. He’s got the perfect 6’2″, 220-pound build to step right into that physical middle linebacker role the Buckeyes love.

If you’re looking for the next big name to watch, keep an eye on Jhadyn Nelson. He’s a fast-rising star from Texas who just picked up an offer from James Laurinaitis in January 2026. Even though he’s blowing up nationally with tons of offers, he already put Ohio State in his top three and headed to Columbus for a visit this March.

The Buckeyes are also making sure to protect their home turf by going after Antwoine Higgins from Cincinnati. He’s currently ranked as the No. 10 linebacker in the country for 2027 and is exactly the kind of homegrown talent Ohio State usually locks down.

Finally, there’s Kaden Henderson, a five-star prospect who’s ranked as the No. 3 linebacker in the nation. He’s been high on the Buckeyes since visiting for a big game late last year and still has them at the top of his list as of February 2026. Truth be told, he might be the perfect and only compensating replacement for Witten for the Buckeyes.