4-star receiver Omar Cooper chooses IU over WVU

In a 2022 recruiting cycle that’s seen Indiana stack exciting defensive commitments, the Hoosiers added a highly intriguing offensive playmaker to their haul on Wednesday.

Indianapolis receiver Omar Cooper picked IU over West Virginia, becoming the program’s third four-star verbal commit for next year’s freshman class. Before whittling his options to the Hoosiers and Mountaineers, Cooper accumulated a long list of scholarships from the likes of Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Arkansas and Cincinnati, among others. He’s considered the No. 30 receiver in the class and the No. 5 overall player from the state of Indiana, per the 247 Sports Composite rankings.

He’s also IU highest-rated receiver recruit in the rankings era, according to the 247 database.

In Bloomington, the Lawrence North product will reunite with former teammate Donaven McCulley, a former four-star quarterback recruit who signed with IU for 2021. While playing with McCulley, the 6-foot-1, 185-pound receiver caught 38 passes for 1,101 yards and 14 touchdowns as a junior last fall, posting his second straight 1,000-yard season after hauling in 53 balls for 1,024 yards and 13 scores as a sophomore. Their partnership should be an exciting storyline to continue following in the seasons to come.

Cooper, who also plays basketball for Lawrence North, is returning from a torn ACL suffered late last fall.

With 10 players now committed for 2022, IU’s average recruit ranking per 247 Sports is 88.73 — the highest in school history and the fourth-best mark currently among Big Ten classes.