2024 Football Roster
Roster
Cooper Jr., Keith

Jersey Number 5
Keith Cooper Jr.
- Position:
- DL
- Height:
- 6-5
- Weight:
- 280
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Dickinson, Texas
- High School:
- Dickinson HS
- Prev School:
- Tulane
Bio
As a Senior (2024)
Prior to Houston
- Second Team All-Big 12 Conference by league coaches
- Third Team All-Big 12 Conference by Phil Steele
- Started all 12 games at defensive end
- Four-time UH honorary game captain (at Oklahoma, at TCU, at Arizona, at BYU)
- Led team in sacks (3.5)
- Tied for team lead in tackles for loss (8.5)
- Second among Big 12 edge defenders in quarterback hits (10)
- Ninth among Power Four edge defenders in QB hits
- Posted a career-high 46 tackles on season
- Set a career-best with nine tackles on Senior Night vs. Baylor (Nov. 23)
- Three tackles for loss at #15/13 Oklahoma (Sept. 7)
- Recovered first-career fumble vs. Utah (Oct. 26)
- Houston’s second longest fumble return – vs. Utah (22 yards)
- Blocked first-career kick in the season opener vs. UNLV (Oct. 31)
- 705 snaps played – 627 defensive and 77 special teams
- 78.8 run-defense grade (PFF) ranked fifth among Big 12 edge defenders
- Led team with 27 pressures
- 74.2 defensive grade (PFF) ranked tied for third on team
- 77 snaps on special teams across all phases
- 81.8 special teams grade (PFF) led the team
- Seven pressures at Arizona were sixth among Power Four edge defenders in Week 12
- 69.0 pass rush grade at Arizona – third among Big 12 edge defenders in Week 12
- Six pressures at TCU were sixth among Power four edge defenders during Week 6
- 78.1 run-defense grade vs. #17/15 Kansas State (Nov. 2)
- Grade ranked second among Big 12 edge defenders during Week 10
Prior to Houston
- Spent three seasons at Tulane (2021-23)
- 37 career games played (1,459 snaps)
- At Tulane: 69 tackles (37 solo), 16 TFLs and 10.5 sacks
- Eighth in The American and third on team with 5.0 sacks in 2023
- Started final 15 games of Tulane career dating to 2022 American Championship
- All 13 starts in 2023 came at right defensive end
- 76.9 run defense grade ranked sixth in The American among edge defenders
- Appeared in 13 games (two starts) during 2022
- 22 tackles, 4.0 TFLs and 3.5 sacks
- 5.0 tackles and 1.5 sacks vs. UCF in American Championship
- Played all 12 games as true freshman in 2021
- 18 tackles (13 solo stops), 3.5 TFLs, 2.0 sacks and one forced fumble
- 3.0 tackles, 2.0 sacks and one forced fumble vs. Morgan State (Sept. 11)
- One TFL against Houston (Oct. 7)
High School
- Prepped at Dickinson
- Three-star prospect by 247Sports and rivals
- Two-sport athlete in football and basketball
- Nation's No. 47 weak side defensive end
- Ranked among Top 150 prospects in Texas
- 2019 First Team All-District Selection at outside linebacker
Personal
- Nickname: Coop or Grave Dinner (celebration after each sack)
- Hobbies: gaming and finishing
- Dream job outside of football: real estate
- Something most people don’t know: wasn’t going to play high school football until head coach contacted him
- Hidden talent: basketball
- Chose UH because opportunity to play in hometown
- One word to describe himself on the field: destructive
- If he could eat one food for the rest of his life: burritos
- Biggest motivation for working hard: his family and their sacrifices
- Highlight of his life thus far: being on TV playing the sport he loves
- Best advice: work even when no one is watching
- Sports hero: Arian Foster – going to Foster’s camp when he was a kid made him realize how good he could be
- Most memorable athletic feat: conference championship and Cotton Bowl title
- Unique fact: genuine person
Postgame Press Conference: Football at Rice
Saturday, September 06
Postgame Press Conference: Football vs. Stephen F. Austin
Friday, August 29
Press Conference: Head Coach Willie Fritz Previews SFA
Monday, August 25
Camp Availability: Head Coach Willie Fritz
Monday, August 04