Report: Transfer WR Johntay Cook visiting Arizona State, drawing interest from multiple others

Former five-star wide receiver Johntay Cook has a visit lined up for this weekend. He’s heading to Arizona State to check it out, according to Anwar Richardson of Orangebloods. He’s also drawn interest from Houston, Oklahoma, BYU, Syracuse, Indiana, and Arkansas since entering the transfer portal earlier this week.

This is the second consecutive cycle Cook has hit the open market. Earlier this offseason, Cook decided to transfer to Washington after beginning his career at Texas. Now, he’s searching for his new home, and the Sun Devils are an intriguing destination.

During his time on the 40 Acres, Cook appeared in 20 games. Six of those were during the 2024 season, one where Texas competed in the SEC Championship game and the College Football Playoff. Cook totaled eight receptions for 137 yards and two touchdowns.

The stats were nearly identical to his true freshman campaign in 2023. He also had eight catches but for 136 yards and there were no touchdowns.

Cook decided to leave Texas in early December and committed to Washington just after Christmas Day, choosing to continue his career in the Pacific Northwest. However, the relationship was short-lived. On3’s Pete Nakos confirmed Washington and Cook parted ways with each other on Jan. 14, less than 48 hours after the player arrived on campus.

Since then, there have been multiple legal issues surrounding Cook. His most recent arrest took place in February, when he was booked in Grayson County, TX, for marijuana possession of less than two ounces. That was after a pair of misdemeanors with theft as well as interfering with public duties were charge against him.

Cook played high school football at DeSoto (TX), where he was a five-star prospect. He was the No. 31 overall recruit in the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

“Smooth-moving receiver who is one of the best route-runners in the 2023 cycle,” On3’s Charles Power said in a scouting report. “Shows the ability to tempo and toggle speeds within his routes. Has outstanding initial quickness and easily stacks corners off the line, particularly when working from the slot. Very polished having worked with individual trainers. Can win at all levels of the field. Has long arms with a 6-foot-4 wing-span at 5-foot-11.5, 175 pounds. 

“Shows the ability to track the ball over his shoulder and has the capability of coming down with high-point grabs. Highly productive while playing top competition as a senior, catching 86 passes for 1,534 yards and 22 touchdowns while leading DeSoto to a state title. Quicker than fast, but long speed appears to be solid. Will need to continue improving on his reliability as a pass-catcher and eliminate concentration drops but showed some progress on that front as a senior.”

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.

— On3’s Griffin McVeigh contributed to this article.