DeSoto five-star 2027 RB Myson Johnson-Cook transfers to Illinois powerhouse

High school All-American and former Illinois high school star returns home after one year at Texas power

DeSoto (Texas) five-star running back Myson Johnson-Cook announced on his Instagram on Wednesday that he is transferring to East St. Louis (Illinois) to play in the 2025-2026 season. / Robbie Rakestraw

After one year in Texas, five-star junior running back Myson Johnson-Cook, a highly touted prospect across all major recruiting services and a participant in the Navy All-American Bowl and a Polynesian Bowl invite, is returning to where it all began - the state of Illinois.

Per his Instagram, the elite running back/linebacker has announced his transfer from DeSoto High School in Texas to East St. Louis High School in Illinois for the 2025 football season. It will be a homecoming of sorts. He played his freshman year at Decatur MacArthur in Illinois.

Myson Johnson-Cook ran for over 900 yards as a sophomore at 6A DeSoto last season. / Robbie Rakestraw

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 203 pounds, he was a key contributor for the Eagles, a perennial Texas powerhouse. During his sophomore 2024 season, he showcased his capabilities by rushing for 911 yards on 88 carries, averaging an impressive 10.4 yards per attempt, and scoring 14 rushing touchdowns in 14 games. In limited opportunities catching the ball, he added 4 receptions for 27 yards and a touchdown.

Despite his strong production, Johnson-Cook - clocked at 4.39 in the 40 - found himself in a deep backfield at DeSoto, a team that finished the 2024 season with an 11-3 record, averaging 52.4 points per game.

With their new weapon in tow, the Flyers enter 2025 on the heels of a dominant 2024 campaign, which saw them capture their 11th state championship in IHSA Class 6A, defeating Geneva 48-28.

The Flyers finished the season ranked No. 1 in the state by MaxPreps, and secured their ninth consecutive Southwestern Conference title. The program has a history of integrating high-profile transfers, notably five-star wide receiver Luther Burden in 2021, who thrived in the Flyers' system before heading to Missouri and, now, the NFL. Johnson-Cook's dual threat as a running back and linebacker - a position he could also play collegiately, per 247Sports' Gabe Brooks - will be a significant asset to a team that consistently competes for national recognition.

On the recruiting front, Johnson-Cook remains one of the most sought-after prospects in the 2027 class with nearly 40 Division I offers. Rivals ranks him as the No. 2 athlete nationally, the No. 27 overall recruit, and the No. 5 player in Texas. The 247Sports composite rankings place him as the No. 31 overall player, No. 2 athlete, and No. 6 player from his home state.

DeSoto's Myson Cook Johnson is tripped up by Miller's Delson Cavaness during Friday's game at the Alamodome on Sept. 13, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas. / Angela Piazza/Caller-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Georgia and Oregon have reportedly pursued Johnson-Cook the hardest, and Georgia has made it clear he is their top running back target for the 2027 class. Other prominent programs actively pursuing him include Miami (Florida), Texas, LSU, and Baylor. He has already made unofficial visits to Oregon, Ohio State, SMU, Texas A&M, and Illinois.

A standout sprinter, Johnson-Cook was a Texas 6A 100-meter regional qualifier at DeSoto, posting wind-aided times of 10.30, 10.33 and 10.42, per MileSplit, and ran a wind-legal 10.45 100.

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