After troubled winter, former UT 5-star WR Johntay Cook 'getting back on track' at Syracuse

Things got off the rails this winter for former five-star wide receiver recruit Johntay Cook.

Once considered a key piece of the future Texas Longhorns roster, Cook left the UT program in November, entering the transfer portal a month later.

He then transferred.

He got kicked off his new team.

He got arrested.

He got arrested again.

Finally, the Desoto, TX prospect finally ended up at Syracuse.

A five-star out of high school, Cook was part of the much heralded 2023 recruiting class, which also included Arch Manning.

During his time as a Longhorn, Cook appeared in 20 games and hauled in 16 catches.

He recorded 273 receiving yards and found the end zone twice during the 2024 season.

Although Cook began his college career with high expectations, he struggled to separate himself in a Longhorns offense full of talent while battling his own injuries.

Cook was pushed out of the 2024 WR rotation by Isaiah Bond, DeAndre Moore, Matthew Golden, Ryan Wingo and Silas Bolden.

Behind the scenes, things were boiling over.

Inside Texas reported at the time Cook's transfer had been coming for a while.

"IT doesnt feel the need to divulge the 'locker room' aspects of this separation but it had been coming to a head for a while."Texas coach Steve Sarkisian confirmed Cook's departure in November saying, "Obviously, we've had some roster movement today with Johntay Cook moving on.

We have nothing but respect for him and his family.

Wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors." When asked whose decision it was, Sark said, It was mutual between the two of us."A couple weeks after entering the portal, Cook found a new home in the Pacific Northwest with Washington.

The Huskies were about as far away from Texas as possible.

Two days later, the WR made news again by taking shots at his former quarterback Quinn Ewers.

After reports surfaced that Ewers had received a nearly $6 million offer to transfer to an unnamed school, Cook responded to the reports on social media with a message saying, Wasting y'all money fr [for real].

It was a shot you don't normally see in college football.Cook wouldn't last long in Seattle.

Scott Eklund of Dawgman247 reported Cook was dismissed from the Huskies after approximately 48 hours on campus.

The reason was not known at the time.

In limbo, Cook returned to Texas where things went from bad to worse.

In February, Cook was arrested twice in ten days.

The first arrest was for multiple charges in Tarrant County, including theft and interfering with public duties.

He was arrested again in Grayson County on a charge of marijuana possession.Things went very quiet publicly for Cook in the spring.

Finally, in May it was announced Cook would be transferring to Syracuse.

Former Texas WR Johntay Cook II on Fran Brown's message when bringing him in to Syracuse - "getting back on track" after a tumultuous few months following a stint at WashingtonSU OC Jeff Nixon says Cook is "really focused right now...

he lives in the building." pic.twitter.com/sF7479c11R Ashley Wenskoski (@AshleyWenskTV) August 5, 2025Cook credits Orange coach Fran Brown, whose message to Cook was "getting back on track." Syracuse offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon says Cook is "really focused right now ...

he lives in the building." Nixon said, "He's given us kind of a veteran presence.

He's really focused.

He's excited to be here.

The kid loves football.

He's a football savant.

We're really excited that he's here."Cook has embraced the challenge of putting his career back together.

"Just getting to ultimately my career was supposed to go," he said.

"You know, with everything that's transpired in my career, you know just getting back on track." Follow us on X/Twitter at @LonghornsWire.This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Former Longhorns 5-star WR Johntay Cook 'getting back on track'.

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