Cooper Lutz gearing up to make final run
After entering the NCAA transfer portal in December Cooper Lutz sent out a highlight film to some of the colleges he thought might suit him academically and athletically.
Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea didn’t need to see more film on the Berks Catholic grad; he knew first-hand what Lutz can do with a football in his hands.
Lea was the defensive coordinator at Notre Dame when Lutz broke off an 80-yard touchdown run against the Fighting Irish in Syracuse’s 2020 season finale.
“I had a pretty good game on them,” said Lutz of his career-high 114-yard effort. “(That helped) get my foot in the door (at Vanderbilt). Now every time I see him he says I owe him a formal apology.”
Lee is unlikely to hold a grudge. He knows that with Lutz, who is a walk-on with the Commodores, his program is getting a top-notch special teams player and fifth-year senior who can enhance both the running back room and locker room.
Lutz spent four years hoping to work way into Syracuse’s backfield rotation, and did briefly at the end of the 2020 season, but a year ago he got just 17 touches. After graduating in December with a degree in finance he sought a fresh start and one more crack at earning time as a running back in what he says will be his final season of college football.
Lutz has been taking handoffs since he was old enough to wraps his hands around a football, first in the Central Catholic youth program, then at Berks Catholic, where he set rushing records for yards and touchdowns in a season.
He was recruited at Syracuse as a slot receiver and thought he could seamlessly make the switch. That’s the spot older brother Isaac, also a record-setting halfback with the Saints, played at Penn State. And it’s a spot Cooper played briefly with Pennsylvania’s Big 33 Classic squad.
“I thought the transition would be a lot easier for me,” said Lutz. “In reality, it’s a lot different than I imagined it would be. It was a very difficult mental battle.”
In high school Lutz was a power back with speed, a lethal combination that helped him earn All-State honors.
He ran people over, then ran away from them, rushing for program records of 1,525 yards and 27 TDs as a senior in 2017.
He never felt comfortable at receiver; he struggled to hold onto the ball, then lost confidence in his game. He thought briefly about walking away from football.
“I feel like I lost two years of experience, not being (at running back),” Lutz said. “I could’ve played running back at the (service) academies, or Colgate. I was set on going to a Power Five school and getting a degree from (the Whitman School of Management). I got (the chance) to play in the ACC; I thought: ‘I’ll make it work.’ “
Lutz returned to the backfield for his final two seasons and enjoyed it much more. He left Syracuse on a positive note, appreciative of his years there, but he couldn’t walk way from the game without giving himself one last chance to carry the rock.
“I wasn’t leaving Syracuse out of spite,” he said. “I was ready for something new. I wasn’t upset that I (didn’t) get as much playing time (as I would have liked). I knew I shouldn’t have been playing (ahead of 1,500-yard rusher Sean) Tucker, because of how good he is.”
Lutz selected Vanderbilt for more than a chance at running back. He will pursue a Master’s degree in education and has been accepted into the Leadership and Organizational Performance program at the prestigious Peabody College, rated among the top five in the nation.
“Vanderbilt . . . it speaks for itself,” Lutz said of the academics.
Nashville was a draw, too. It’s a vibrant college town and terrific place to live with a moderate climate and booming economy.
There was also a personal connection: Commodores associate head coach and special teams coordinator coach Justin Lustig coached special teams at Syracuse. and Lutz was eager to play for him again. Lutz was a special teams captain at Syracuse last season and a semifinalist last year for National Special Teams Player of the Year. He received the Syracuse Football Club’s Joe Szombathy Special Teams Award after the season.
“(Coach Lustig) used me as a utility guy on all of the special teams,” Lutz said. “Anything he asked of me, I would do.”
Playing in the Southeastern Conference, long the nation’s best in football, was an attraction for Lutz, as well. The Commodores open their season Aug. 27 at Hawaii; they’ll play at Bryant-Denny Stadium vs. Alabama and “between the hedges” at Georgia.
“I grew up watching ‘College Gameday’ every week,” he said. “Getting to go to a place like Alabama or Georgia . . . is like a dream come true. I played at Notre Dame and at Clemson; this will just add to the resume.”
Lutz spent the spring working out and coaching sprinters and relay teams at Berks Catholic. He moved to Nashville earlier this month and is now busy learning the Commodores’ offense and working out daily with his new teammates.
He is eager to compete for playing time but is also realistic.
“We have a lot of good talent,” he said. “You know, this is the SEC, so it’s no pushover. I’m hoping to get some (time) there and contribute on special teams. You’ve got to come in and earn respect.
“It’s all up to me. The more consistent I can play, the better chance I’ll have. Do I think I’ll start the first game of the season? Probably not. But I could see myself cracking the rotation at some point. That’s what I’m looking toward.
“I hope I score 10 touchdowns this year (but more important to me is forming) life-long friendships and bonds with these guys by the time I leave. I’m surrounded by great young people, and great coaches and a great staff.”
Cooper Lutz’s Berks Catholic highlights
| Most rushing yards, game | 221 | vs. Bishop McDevitt | 2017 |
| Most rushing yards, season | 1,525* | 2017 | |
| Most touchdowns, game | 4 | vs. Gettysburg; vs. Wyomissing | 2017 |
| Rushing yards, career | 3,141 | 2014-17 | |
| Most touchdowns, season | 31 | 2017 | |
| Most touchdowns, career | 55 | 2014-17 | |
| Most rushing touchdowns, season | 27* | 2017 | |
| Most rushing touchdowns, career | 49* | 2014-17 | |
| Longest touchdown run | 96* | vs. Wyomissing | 2017 |
| Longest kickoff return for touchdown | 90 | vs. Steel-High | 2015 |