WOOF: Washington Huskies Land Former 5-Star WR from Texas

Washington has added a portal WR after landing a commitment from Texas WR transfer Johntay Cook II today, who chose the Huskies over Florida.

Cook is from DeSoto, TX and played at DeSoto HS which has produced many talented players over the years including Von Miller and the Seahawks 2024 first round draft pick, Byron Murphy II. Cook had a monster senior year in HS with 85 catches, 1530 yards, and 22 TDs which earned him a five star ranking before signing with the Longhorns.

Despite the talented and deep WR room at Texas, Cook still saw the field as a true freshman and had 8 catches for 136 yards. He appeared primed for a more productive year, but had nearly the same stats with 8 catches, 137 yards, and 2 TDs due to a toe injury that would linger for most of the season. After being injured and falling down the depth chart as a result, Cook announced he would be entering the portal and using his redshirt to help preserve eligibility. He will have 3 years to play 3.

For those waiting for UW to make a splash in the portal, Cook is it. A former five star play maker who is regarded as a high four star transfer prospect and will likely be an impact starter right away. While he may not have accumulated a lot of yards so far in his collegiate career, he brings two things that Husky fans should be very excited by; explosiveness and versatility. The explosiveness speaks for itself with his 17.1 YPC average, but in addition to the stats, watching him play he accelerates extremely well and is able to hit his top end speed faster than most players. With that kind of ability, he has the ability to excel catching screens, quick crosses, and post routes which are all plays that Fisch likes to call frequently.

As I mentioned, Cook should be penciled in as a starting WR for the 2025 season to pair with Denzel Boston. Cook is also quick and fast enough to play out of the slot in certain situations and Rashid Williams could join the pair to be a fearsome starting trio of WRs. He is at his best with the ball in his hand and has high end play making ability using his speed and making defenders miss in open space.