Tulane did not start recruiting Tristan Cooper heavily until last week. That still gave the Green Wave enough time to secure the commitment from the Tampa Plant senior with a heavy background in Louisiana.

Cooper, a 6-feet-0, 175-pound two-star prospect, liked what he saw during a hastily arranged official visit over the weekend and pledged on Monday afternoon.

"Just talking to coach (Curtis) Johnson, the familiarity with the guys on the team and the fact that Tulane is a program on the rise weighed into my decision a lot," he said. "They always sent mail throughout the whole process, but they came on late as far as the offer and the visit. There was a real comfort factor. Everyone was real personable. It felt like one big family."

Cooper was attracted to Iowa State early because it was the only major conference school to offer him a scholarship, but he could not pull the trigger on the Cyclones. His other significant offer came from East Carolina.

"I was excited about Iowa State and going to a BCS school, but I always said that when I went to a school (on a visit) I would kind of feel it (was the right place)," he said. "When I was up there, I just didn't feel that."



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