Alcoa wide receiver JaColby Cooper has committed to Tennessee football, he announced Jan. 24 on social media.
“This come with perfect timing,” Cooper wrote on Instagram.
The 6-foot-2, 173-pound Cooper emerged in his senior year for the Tornadoes, amassing 628 yards and nine touchdowns on 52 catches. He was a crucial element in Alcoa’s passing offense in its run to an 11th straight TSSAA state championship, and its first in Class 4A.
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Cooper had offers from Carson-Newman, Emory & Henry and the University of Pikeville.
Cooper is the 29th commitment in Tennessee’s 2026 class, including 27 players who graduated high school early and enrolled at UT in January. Cooper can sign on Feb. 4, which opens the late signing period for high school recruits.
In December, SEC presidents approved the 105-scholarship limit. That opened the door for developmental recruits like Cooper to sign as scholarship players.
Wynton Jackson covers high school sports for Knox News. Email: wynton.jackson@knoxnews.com
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Alcoa receiver JaColby Cooper commits to Tennessee for 2026
