MULESHOE — Muleshoe defensive standout Cooper Washington doesn’t have to worry about where he’s going to play football in college after next year.

Washington, a 6-foot-4, 225-pound wide receiver-defensive end, on Monday made a verbal commitment to the University of Oklahoma in the Big 12 Conference.

Mules coach David Wood said Thursday night that Washington chose the Sooners over Houston and several other Big 12 schools — Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Baylor, Kansas and Colorado.

“Taking a kid from little Muleshoe, Texas, is certainly prestigious for the area,” Wood said.. “He was getting a lot of attention as a sophomore (in 2009). This year, he’s been bombarded by school after school after school.”

Washington started at both positions as a sophomore on the Mules’ 15-0 Class 2A Division I state championship team, and again last year as the Mules posted a 10-1 record. Their 25-game winning streak came to an end in the first round of the playoffs.

Wood said Washington made a visit to the OU campus in Norman over the weekend, and liked what he saw. He called the Sooners back on Monday to inform them of his decision.

“There’s a lot of distractions (as a senior),” Wood said, “but that’s one that’s been taken care of.”