Former 5-star WR strongly linked to three major college football programs

A trio of Power Four programs have been connected with a former five-star prospect in the NCAA transfer portal.

Syracuse Orange wide receiver Johntay Cook (2) runs from Colgate Raiders defensive back Kenny Langston (22) | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

The NCAA transfer portal is wrapping up its two-week window for college football players to enter the portal and search for new schools to compete for in 2026. The portal opened on Jan. 2 and is closing Friday at midnight.

Thousands of players at different levels of college football entered the transfer portal in the month after the 2025 regular season ended. Most of these players have already committed, but some are still on the hunt for their next program.

One player still in the portal is former Syracuse wide receiver Johntay Cook. He will have one season of eligibility remaining at his fourth school.

The 6-foot, 198-pounder began his college football journey as a five-star recruit in Steve Sarkisian's 2023 recruiting class at Texas. He appeared in all 14 games with the Longhorns, catching eight passes for 136 yards en route to the Longhorns' first College Football Playoff appearance.

A toe injury limited Cook's production at Texas in 2024. He caught eight passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns, both of which were in the Longhorns' win over UTSA. He did not see the field again after Oct. 12, 2024.

Mississippi State Bulldogs safety Corey Ellington (10) tackles Texas Longhorns wide receiver Johntay Cook II (1) | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

Cook initially transferred from Texas to Washington in the 2025 offseason. However, Cook's time with the Huskies lasted only three weeks as he reentered the transfer portal in January. He transferred to Syracuse for the 2025 season.

Cook was the Orange's most productive receiver in 2025, finishing with team highs in both receptions and yards at 45 for 549 to go along with two touchdowns. Syracuse starting quarterback Steve Angeli tore his Achilles in a win over Clemson on Sept. 20, 2025, an event that seriously hindered the Orange's pass production the final eight games of the season.

The rankings for Cook as a high school prospect figure to draw interest from Power Four programs in the NCAA transfer portal. Mike Roach of 247Sports forecasted three potential landing spots for Cook out of the portal in the Power Four ranks.

Ole Miss

Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding runs off the field during warmups before the CFP Fiesta Bowl at the State Farm Stadium, in Glendale, Ariz., on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. | Lauren Witte/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Harrison Wallace III and De'Zhaun Stribling, the Rebels' two best wide receivers from the 2025 season, are both out of eligibility. The only other noteworthy loss from the 2025 receiving core is Winston Watkins, who is following former Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin to LSU.

Ole Miss has already landed Isaiah Spencer (Virginia Tech), Cameron Miller (Kentucky) and Darrell Gill Jr. (Syracuse) out of the portal for its 2026 team. The room is already deep, but Cook's connection to Gill from their time at Syracuse could factor in him potentially committing to the Rebels.

Auburn

The Tigers have some replacing to do at wide receiver for 2026. Cam Coleman, Eric Singleton Jr., Perry Thompson, Malcolm Simmons and Horatio Fields all transferred out of Auburn in the weeks after it hired Alex Golesh as its next head coach.

Golesh has brought five receivers with him from South Florida to Auburn. Scrap Richardson never saw the field at Notre Dame, so none of these acquisitions regularly saw Power Four competition in 2025. Cook would add needed experience at the Power Four level to the Auburn wide receiver room in 2026.

Purdue

Purdue Boilermakers head coach Barry Odom during the first half against the Washington Huskies at Husky Stadium | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Michael Jackson III and EJ Horton Jr. both exhausted their eligibility with the Boilermakers in 2025. Nitro Tuggle, Purdue's second most productive receiver in 2025, is headed for South Carolina. The Boilermakers have also lost Arhmad Branch to South Florida via the portal.

So far, Purdue has brought in Asaad Waseem (Florida Atlantic), Xavier Townsend (Iowa State) and Bisi Owens (Pennsylvania) via the portal. Townsend saw plenty of action for the Cyclones, but he did not produce at the same level as Cook for his previous offense.