Johntay Cook II commits to the Texas Longhorns

On3 Consensus 4-star wide receiver Johntay Cook II committed to the Texas Longhorns Wednesday.

The 5-foot-11, 171-pound precise route runner with explosive ability after the catch committed to the Longhorns over Texas A&M, Michigan, Florida, Oregon and Jackson State.

Texas has been considered the favorite long before On3 No. 1 overall Arch Manning committed Thursday. The Longhorns held a commanding lead in the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine over Texas A&M prior to the announcement.

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian personally recruited Cook, along with wide receivers coach Brennan Marion. Texas A&M was considered the biggest threat to the Longhorns prior to June official visits to Ole Miss, Oregon and Michigan.

This makes three straight classes Sarkisian and staff have won out for a wide receiver ranked in the top 100 of the On3 Consensus rankings. The 2023 class now has two with Cook and 4-star verbal Ryan Niblett. Longhorns star freshman Xavier Worthy was a On3 5-star and No. 18 overall in the 2021 cycle. State champion sprinter Brennan Thompson ranked No. 71 in the On300 in the 202 cycle.

The Longhorns remain in the mix for several other On300 wide receivers, including Jaden Greathouse, Jaquaize Pettaway, Jonah Wilson and Jalen Hale.

Texas No. 4 ranked class gets a boost

The Longhorns vaulted to the No. 4 ranked class in the On3 Consensus team ranking Thursday with the commitment of No. 1 overall Arch Manning. Texas sported 16 commitments prior to Cook’s announcement. Along with On3 Consensus 5-star Manning, Texas class features nine more consensus 4-star prospects.

With Manning, and now Cook in the fold, a second straight top 5 class looks like a slam dunk. The Texas weekend official visitor list includes 10 four-star prospects.

Johntay Cook II On3 scouting summary

Smooth-moving receiver who is one of the better route-runners in the 2023 cycle. Shows the ability to tempo and toggle speeds within his routes. Can win at all levels of the field. Has long arms with a 6-foot-4 wing-span at 5-foot-11.5. The length helps create a large catch radius. Productive and efficient as a junior while facing top competition at one of the top talent-producing high school programs in Texas. Scored 18 touchdowns on just 38 receptions as a junior. Will need to continue improving on his reliability as a pass-catcher and eliminate concentration drops.