Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. had enjoyed a nice collegiate career by the time Curt Cignetti arrived in Bloomington. He was one of the few players to remain on the team through Cignetti’s roster purges, showing the kind of work ethic and grit that NFL teams covet.

Things changed for Cooper during his last year with the Hoosiers, though. Not only did he record 13 touchdowns, but his physical frame and sure hands made him a commodity for the eventual national champions.

During a wildly successful season for himself and the team, Cooper’s life was forever changed by one single play that had the entire football world talking.

One play changed it all

36 seconds remaining. On the road against Penn State, down 24-20. The 9-0 Hoosiers were backed into a third-and-long, facing their potential first loss of the season.

They needed someone to make a play.

And, boy, did Cooper make one.

Cooper’s acrobatic catch did more than just save the day for Indiana. It also propelled the young wideout to a level of popularity he had never seen up to this point.

“It definitely started changing how people looked at me,” Cooper said. “It definitely made me more popular on campus.”

The 22-year-old wideout became the latest example of a breakout star in the college ranks. In a loaded receiver room, Cooper stood atop the pack in receptions and yards. He showed the kind of physicality and shiftiness that made him worthy of a first-round pick.

The Jets loved Cooper so much that they traded back into the first round to take him with the 30th overall pick. A big reason why? His catch at Penn State.

“We all saw that catch and the game-winner at Penn State,” Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said. “All the guys (we took) did something to win a game for their team, and that was huge to get all that.”

Cooper is walking into a unique situation with the Jets. He won’t be asked to be the team’s top pass catcher, but will always be immortalized in the college ranks for that one play in Happy Valley.

The Jets are hoping for similar results from him in the NFL.

Cooper’s impact on Jets

Indiana football was the undisputed top program in the country last season due to their depth and overall physicality across the board. Cooper was anything but a small cog in that operation.

The moment Cignetti was hired at Indiana, he used the transfer portal to bring in quality college veterans at almost every position. One of the rare holdovers was Cooper.

“I just think what you’re seeing from him, he’s older, more mature, he’s a veteran now,” Cignetti said last August. “He sees what’s out there. He’s just becoming a lot more consistent and explosive. He’s a hard tackle.”

That consistency is something the Jets are desperate for at receiver. In New York’s three-win campaign last year, the team did not field a 400-yard receiver. With a healthy Garrett Wilson back, the Jets expect more from their passing game.

“That’s the point of me being drafted,” Cooper said. “That’s what me and AG talked about during my top 30 visit. I’m excited for the challenge to take on and help bring something to the table for the team.”

Cooper’s career was put on the map the moment he made his game-winning catch against Penn State. Now, the former Indiana prospect is looking to deliver the same type of winning plays in New York.

Drafting players with a winning pedigree has been a key focus for the Jets in the 2026 draft. Cooper fits the bill as well as anyone.