Indiana University Athletics
Cooper Jr. Flys of Draft Board in First Round
4/23/2026 11:00:00 PM | Football
PITTSBURGH – A historic night for Indiana came in the Steel City when Omar Cooper Jr. was the second Indiana football standout selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. The wideout was the No. 30 overall pick by the New York Jets to mark the first time IU had multiple players selected in the first round of the draft.
Following teammate Fernando Mendoza, who was the No. 1 overall pick by the Las Vegas Raiders, Cooper Jr. made it multiple first round Hoosiers for the first time in program history. Cooper Jr. is the first IU wide receiver picked in the first round since Thomas Lewis in 1994 and is the third-ever first-round wideout at IU along with Lewis and Duane Gunn (1984).
The Indianapolis native appeared in 42 career games with 20 starts and is one of just six Hoosiers with 20-plus receiving touchdowns in a career. He finished No. 4 on the IU career receiving touchdowns charts (22) and No. 11 on the total touchdowns list (24).
Cooper Jr. tied program record with four receiving touchdowns against Indiana State (9/12) in 2025, a mark he shares with James Hardy (Michigan State, 2006) and is tied for No. 3 on the Big Ten single-game charts. That game featured 207 yards receiving to rank No. 7 on the IU single-game charts and mark just the ninth 200-yard receiving game in program history
In 2025, he produced 69 catches for 937 yards and 13 touchdowns. His touchdown total ranks No. 3 in a single season, tied with Ernie Jones (13; 1987), and his receptions total is No. 7 on season charts. Of his 69 receptions, 44 went for a first down or touchdown and he teamed with Elijah Sarratt as just the fifth set of Big Ten teammates this century to both finish the regular season with double-digit receiving touchdowns.
He was a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award and earned second-team All-America from the Football Writers Association of American. He was also a second-team All-Big Ten from the conference media and coaches panels.
Following teammate Fernando Mendoza, who was the No. 1 overall pick by the Las Vegas Raiders, Cooper Jr. made it multiple first round Hoosiers for the first time in program history. Cooper Jr. is the first IU wide receiver picked in the first round since Thomas Lewis in 1994 and is the third-ever first-round wideout at IU along with Lewis and Duane Gunn (1984).
The Indianapolis native appeared in 42 career games with 20 starts and is one of just six Hoosiers with 20-plus receiving touchdowns in a career. He finished No. 4 on the IU career receiving touchdowns charts (22) and No. 11 on the total touchdowns list (24).
Cooper Jr. tied program record with four receiving touchdowns against Indiana State (9/12) in 2025, a mark he shares with James Hardy (Michigan State, 2006) and is tied for No. 3 on the Big Ten single-game charts. That game featured 207 yards receiving to rank No. 7 on the IU single-game charts and mark just the ninth 200-yard receiving game in program history
In 2025, he produced 69 catches for 937 yards and 13 touchdowns. His touchdown total ranks No. 3 in a single season, tied with Ernie Jones (13; 1987), and his receptions total is No. 7 on season charts. Of his 69 receptions, 44 went for a first down or touchdown and he teamed with Elijah Sarratt as just the fifth set of Big Ten teammates this century to both finish the regular season with double-digit receiving touchdowns.
He was a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award and earned second-team All-America from the Football Writers Association of American. He was also a second-team All-Big Ten from the conference media and coaches panels.
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