Cooper Hackett

Physical Profile

Hackett owns prototype tackle dimensions: a 6-7 frame with an 80-inch wingspan that gives him rare reach to control edge rushers and recover when beaten. At 250-260 lbs he is still relatively lean for the position, with obvious room to add 20-30 lbs of functional mass without sacrificing his mobility. Crucially, his basketball background (a 14 PPG / 7.7 RPG sophomore season on 74% shooting) confirms the functional athleticism — body control, sudden redirection, and explosive lower-half movement — that scouts like 247's Gabe Brooks have flagged as directly transferable to pass protection.

Play Style

Hackett plays with the loose, athletic movement of a converted big man — light feet in his kick-slide, smooth in space, and able to reach defenders to the second level on combo and zone blocks. He relies on length to keep rushers off his frame in pass pro and shows the recovery quickness to mirror when his initial set is beaten. The game is currently built more on athletic talent and reach than on accumulated mass or refined power technique, which is exactly the developmental arc you want at this age.

Strengths

• Elite length and frame: an 80-inch wingspan paired with 6-7 height lets him win the initial punch, control the rusher's chest, and reset hands — the single most projectable trait for a blindside tackle.
• Hoops-validated movement skills: his on-court production (74% FG, strong rebounding) demonstrates real lateral agility, balance in space, and the explosive redirection needed to mirror speed off the edge.
• Bankable upside and competitive pedigree: he chose OU over a reported larger NIL package from Texas Tech and held 20+ offers (Ohio State, Notre Dame, Florida, Auburn, etc.), reflecting both national-level evaluation consensus and a competitor's mentality.

Areas to Improve

• Play strength and mass: at 250-260 lbs he must add anchor and grip strength to hold up against college bull rushers and gain leverage in the run game — currently more finesse and length than power.
• Pad level and leverage consistency: tall, long-armed linemen frequently fight a high center of gravity, so refining knee bend, hand timing, and base maintenance against quicker counters will be the key technical focus.

College Projection

A blue-chip developmental left tackle. Realistic timeline is a redshirt or rotational year while he adds 20-30 lbs and refines technique under a college strength program, then a multi-year starter at left tackle from roughly Year 2 onward. The ceiling is an All-Conference anchor and the floor — given the length and athleticism — is a quality swing/right tackle.

NFL Outlook

Early Day 1-2 draft profile given the rare length-plus-mobility combination that NFL teams prize at left tackle. The 80-inch wingspan and confirmed athletic base are exactly the measurable thresholds that scouts covet; whether he lands as a top-15 pick or a back-half-of-Round-1 selection will hinge on how much functional strength and technical polish he develops over three college seasons. The traits are first-round caliber.

Best Fit

A program that develops tackles with an athletic, zone/outside-zone-heavy run scheme and a pro-style pass-protection structure — letting him use his feet and length in space rather than asking him to be a road-grading power mauler early. Oklahoma's setup, with strong O-line development and SEC-level competition to accelerate his physical maturation, is a logical fit for that profile.