Steve Sarkisian confirms Texas WR Johntay Cook has left team, releases statement

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian has confirmed the departure of former five-star receiver Johntay Cook from the team.

According to Inside Texas, which broke the news of Cook’s departure, Sarkisian wished Cook well on his way out via a statement.

“We’ve had some roster movement today with Johntay Cook moving on,” Sarkisian said. “We have nothing but respect for he and his family. We wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.”

Johntay Cook was a sophomore receiver who had logged 8 receptions for 137 yards (17.1 yards per catch) and two touchdowns this season. However, he had not recorded a catch since the Mississippi State game on Sept. 28.

Texas has instead rotated the reps at receiver between Isaiah Bond, DeAndre Moore and Matthew Golden, primarily. Freshman Ryan Wingo and senior Silas Bolden have also seen increased workloads, according to Inside Texas.

Making sure Bond is fully healthy now with one less receiver in the room will be key. Bond missed the Vanderbilt game two weeks ago due to injury but has been listed as probable by Texas on the latest team injury report.

While Johntay Cook had a somewhat limited impact on the field early in his career, the promise of what he could be dates back to his time as a recruit.

Coming out of the 2023 recruiting class, Johntay Cook was ranked as a five-star prospect and the No. 31 overall recruit in the country. He was the No. 3 receiver in his class and the No. 5 overall player from the state of Texas, hailing from DeSoto (TX) DeSoto.