"1000% committed go ponies": Four-star SMU WR commit Jalen Cooper puts Notre Dame flip rumor to rest

Four-star wide receiver Jalen Cooper has remained committed to the SMU Mustangs since July, but Notre Dame has made him a top target after extending him an offer in August.

However, Cooper shut down all the speculations by reaffirming his commitment to SMU in a post on X.

"1000% committed go ponies (Recruitment is closed)."

Rumors grew about a potential flip to Notre Dame, especially after Cooper made an official visit during the weekend of the Stanford game on Oct. 12. He witnessed its dominant 49-7 win over Stanford.

Cooper then shared with 247Sports' Tom Loy that Notre Dame made a strong impression on him.

"I have a very hard decision to make," Cooper said on Oct. 14. "I'm going to take a few days to think about it. I wasn't expecting Notre Dame to check all the boxes and then some."

Even Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock presented an enticing plan, drawing comparisons between Cooper and Malik Nabers, a standout wide receiver from LSU who now plays for the New York Giants.

However, Cooper ultimately decided to stay in SMU's 2025 class, which features other blue-chip prospects and ranks No. 28 in the nation with 23 committed players.

What's next for Notre Dame after failing to flip Jalen Cooper?

Notre Dame has received the commitment of Antavious Richardson, who previously committed to South Florida. He plays quarterback and defensive back, but his future as a WR remains uncertain.

Along with Richardson, the Fighting Irish have already landed two promising three-star WRs: Jerome Bettis Jr. and Elijah Burress. These signings provide a solid foundation, but they will have to work to secure more top-tier talent in the receiver room after failing to flip Jalen Cooper.

They saw massive losses in the recruiting battle when Dylan Robinson opted for Washington, Derek Meadows chose LSU and Tanook Hines committed to USC, all of whom were their previous targets.

However, Notre Dame recruiting analyst Kyle Kelly believes there’s still a chance it could land Meadows. The On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine backs up this optimism by giving Notre Dame a 53.6% chance to sway him. He is the No. 80 overall prospect in the nation, the No. 11 WR in the 2025 class and the No. 2 recruit in Nevada, per the On3 Industry Rankings.

Another WR target is Isaiah Mizell, who is committed to Arizona. He is ranked by the On3 Industry Rankings as the No. 574 overall prospect in the nation, the No. 95 WR in the 2025 class and the No. 72 recruit in Florida.