Johntay Cook II wants a state title before heading to Texas
DESOTO, Texas (BVM) – Johntay Cook II has been putting up big numbers once again this season for DeSoto. The five-star senior receiver is finishing his Texas high school career strong before he heads to Texas next year. But he isn’t satisfied with just a good season with impressive stats.
“I feel like I haven’t done enough,” Cook said. “There’s a bunch of good players that have had nice stats and done great things but the thing that people really remember is the state champion.”
🤷🏿♂️ it, Johntay out there somewhere. #DesotoU 🦅 pic.twitter.com/XOq67tbYY4
— DeSoto Football (@FootballDesoto) October 15, 2022
Feeling like he hasn’t done enough is saying something in Cook’s case. The 6-foot wideout recently had 10 catches for 233 yards and five touchdowns in a 86-26 win over Lake Ridge. Last year when he traveled to Mansfield, he scored four touchdowns so of course he had to one up himself.
“The first drive we come out and I score that nice touchdown,” Cook said. “My receiver coach, Coach Sweeny, he had said, ‘Uh oh repeat from last year.’ Next drive I come out and score again, two quick touchdowns back-to-back so after that second touchdown I was like, ‘Yeah I gotta break my record of four.’”
He had four touchdowns by halftime and got the fifth quickly in the third quarter. Cook continues to add to his own chapter in the storied history of DeSoto High School football. Cook has been at DeSoto since he was in third grade and grew up watching many DeSoto greats. For a school that produced Von Miller, there have been plenty of good Eagles.
“I watched all of the greats come in and out of DeSoto and I just pictured myself being in that jersey since I was young,” Cook said. “I’m just trying to carry the legacy.”
Carrying on the legacy, his love for high school football and his teammates are the reason he stayed for his senior year at DeSoto. Originally, Cook planned on graduating early so that he could go to college. However, his parents suggested he stay to enjoy his senior year of high school. It’s a special time and you only get to live it once.
Cook decided to stay but with the plan of being 100 percent focused on the team and winning a state championship. That meant no distractions and in particular, no splitting time between the team and the recruiting process.
“I was like, you know what? If I’m going to be here and play with my guys, I want to be all in,” Cook said. “I don’t want to be missing any key practices or going on visits.”
With that in mind, Cook verbally committed to Texas during the summer. As a five-star and one of the best wide receivers in the Class of 2023, he had plenty of other options but at the end of the day, he was meant to be a Longhorn.
“It’s Texas, I’m a Texas kid,” Cook said.
He also loved the atmosphere around the program. Cook believes in what head coach Steve Sarkisian is doing at Texas and as a wide receiver, it’s hard to find better options at quarterback. Once he’s in Austin, he will have the opportunity to have two different elite quarterbacks throw to him.
“It’s the trigger man,” Cook said. “Obviously if you watch Texas football you see that Quinn Ewers is the man and he can sling it. Then right after him, it’ll be Arch Manning.”
QB Arch Manning with a 70 yard bomb to Johntay Cook II earlier today at Texas 🎯 pic.twitter.com/pvf36L6ajt
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) June 13, 2021
He’ll go from representing DeSoto to representing his home state. But before he does that, he needs to end on the right note with the Eagles. Cook loves high school football and it’s bittersweet that he’s moving on to the next part of his career in the near future. However, that bittersweetness of his high school career could be made much sweeter with a state championship and Cook is doing everything he can to end on a win.
“I’m full in with my guys and trying to win a state championship,” Cook said.
