Why Texas WR Commitment Johntay Cook Is Elite
When the Texas Longhorns earned a commitment from Johntay Cook II on June 28, the program received more than a player ranked high by recruiting services. He’s earned the ranking.
After seeing Cook two times this year, he’s backed up being a national recruit. Here are the takeaways from seeing him at the Dallas Under Armour Camp and the Future 50 event at Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy.
Fluid Athlete
At the March 12 Under Armour Camp, Cook was as athletic as any player in attendance. The stop-and-start ability, quick cuts, and explosiveness showed themselves.
His twitchy skills helped him be the best receiver at the event, and it also set a precedent for what he could do at the University of Texas. Still, seeing him yet again shows the improvement this young man is making.
Utilizing Coaching
At the July 16 Future 50 presented by Under Armour, Cook made the most of the coaching presented to him. He listened to the wide receiver instructors and then put it to good use during drills.
During one-on-ones and seven-on-seven, his ability to improve his press-release technique is most notable, as shown in the following video clip:
Route Running
Against top-notch cornerbacks like Cormani McClain and Desmond Ricks, among others, Cook used double moves that set him up to go deep against the best some of the best in America.
Using a stutter step move and then suddenly turning up the field and hitting top speed helped him beat Ricks deep.
Cook also showed the propensity to break down, sink his hips, and then make sharp cuts to the perimeter during an out route. While it sounds simple, rounding off a route even just a little bit can give a cornerback a shot to jump that pass and take it the other direction for six. It’s good to see Cook continuing to hone his craft.
Sheer Speed
After seeing top skill players from across the country, few prospects can hit the top gear that Cooks shows. He is running by the nation’s top cornerbacks time and time again.
Part of that was the route running, as noted above, and the other aspect is nothing but sheer speed. Once Cook places a Longhorns uniform on his back, he will be running by many defensive backs at the college level, too.
Even as a true freshman, Cook is the type of player that head coach Steve Sarkisian and his staff can utilize as a true weapon. Short, intermediate, or going deep, Cook provides the skills and talent to make an immediate impact in Austin.
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