LOS ANGELES — Indiana football’s receiving room will return to full strength ahead of its Rose Bowl matchup with the University of Alabama on New Year’s Day in Pasadena, California.
Despite suffering a lower body injury in the early stages of the Hoosiers’ Big Ten Championship win over Ohio State on Dec. 6, redshirt junior Omar Cooper Jr.’s name was left off the team’s Monday night injury report.
“I believe he’s the leading receiver on our team in yards,” redshirt junior quarterback Fernando Mendoza said during media day Tuesday. “I would say it's relieving as a quarterback (to have him back).”
The ever-so-trustworthy Mendoza statistic database is correct. Cooper leads all Indiana wideouts with 804 receiving yards. He also ranks first on the team with 12 total touchdowns. But beyond the numbers, Cooper has proved he can be counted on in big moments.
He finished with a productive seven catches for 58 yards in Indiana’s 30-20 win in a tough road environment over Oregon on Oct. 11. It’s also impossible to forget Cooper’s toe-tapping acrobatic touchdown catch that finished off the Hoosiers’ 27-24 comeback victory over Penn State on Nov. 8.
Now, he’ll have the opportunity to suit up in “The Granddaddy of Them All” for arguably the biggest game in program history.
“It’s a blessing itself, just being here,” Cooper said. “This is something you always dream about as a kid.”
It’s an intriguing addition considering Indiana’s opponent, the Crimson Tide. While Alabama enters the matchup as a 6.5-point underdog on FanDuel Sportsbook, its roster is undeniably ridden with talent. The stout secondary could easily cause problems for star senior wide receiver Elijah Sarratt.
Look no further than the Big Ten Championship. The Buckeyes were able to limit Sarratt to just three catches for 37 yards. In that game, it was sophomore wideout Charlie Becker that stepped up with six grabs for 126 yards. Against talented secondaries, a deep receiver room is necessary.
Cooper is the Hoosiers’ best option in the open field. His lateral quickness and litany of impressive juke moves have been impactful for Indiana’s passing attack all season long.
Now that he’s back, he’ll garner attention from the Crimson Tide’s defense, which should allow Sarratt and Becker to have more opportunities in single coverage.
“When three is out there, you have to focus on three, no matter where he’s at,” Sarratt said. “He has that ability to make something happen just like that. That’s always a big piece you're missing when he’s not out there on the field.”
Alabama’s defense allowed a season-high 307 passing yards last time out despite its 34-24 win over the University of Oklahoma. It’s a unit the Hoosiers know they can find success against. If that happens in the Rose Bowl, Cooper’s presence on the field could very well be the reason why.
Follow reporters Conor Banks (@Conorbanks06 and conbanks@iu.edu) and Dalton James (@DaltonMJames and jamesdm@iu.edu) and columnist Quinn Richards (@Quinn_richa and qmrichar@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana football season.
