Keanon Cooper the 5-foot-11.5, 195-pound three-star strong safety from Skyline High School in Dallas, Texas, has already taken official visits to Kansas State (Oct. 13) and Minnesota (Sept. 28), but also plans to trip to Michigan, Kansas and possibly even Texas Tech.
"I want to see how I fit in the city and if there's stuff to do after football season," Cooper said. "I also want to make sure the scheme fits me and that the team is known for defense. I plan to take all five of my visits before I make a decision.
"I really liked my visits to Minnesota and Kansas State," he said. "I really connected with the coaching staff at Minnesota and was impressed with the fans. They stick with the team through thick and thin.
"My Kansas State trips was great too and I really like their defensive," he said. "They are a very defense-minded team."
Cooper, ranked as the No. 20 strong safety in the country by Scout.com, still favors Michigan, but now the remaining contestants are Minnesota, Kansas, Kansas State and Texas Tech. All of his favorite schools have offered, plus several others.
He previously listed Nebraska and Colorado among his favorites, but says that neither the Huskers nor the Buffs seem to be showing him much interest. "I'm not sure where they stand," he said.
He plans to visit Michigan in December, but doesn't have an exact date set yet. "The main reason they are number one right now is because they are Michigan," he said. "They are a big-time program and play in a big-time conference. I like the program a lot and as a kid they were really the first school that I followed. I also have a great relationship with coach (offensive coordinator) Mike DeBord. I think he's the kind of coach that could help make me an NFL caliber player.
"They are still in contention for the Big Ten championship and could go to the Rose Bowl, so they've bounced back pretty well this season."
Cooper contends he hasn't really been paying attention to the rumors circulating around the Michigan program. "I haven't really heard much about coach Lloyd Carr retiring or anything, but if he does then I think it's just gonna depend on who else they get to replace him and what kind of emphasis they put on defense. That's the most important thing to me."
The other school Cooper definitely plans on visiting is Kansas. "I'm very surprised by them," he admitted. "Nobody gave them a chance at the beginning of the season and they've really stepped up. They were underrated and now they've definitely opened my eyes.
"If they win out they deserve to play for the national championship," he said about Kansas. "They are in a quality conference and have beaten quality teams."
Cooper has helped lead his team to a 9-1 record and the first round of the playoffs. He has three blocked punts, two fumbles caused, two interceptions and one sack.
He reports a 3.4 core GPA and a 1400 three-part SAT.