Johntay Cook II celebrates a touchdown catch for Texas early in the 2024 season. Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Barely a Husky, Johntay Cook Lands in Trouble in Texas

Originally posted on Washington Huskies on SI
By Dan Raley | Last updated Feb 4, 2025 2:48 PM ET

Johntay Cook, briefly a University of Washington football player last month, reportedly was arrested in Texas early Tuesday and booked into a Fort Worth correctional center allegedly for property theft and interfering with the process, according to multiple news outlets.

The former University of Texas wide receiver now has a trail of troubling incidents that include the Longhorns parting ways with him at midseason, the Huskies signing him from the transfer portal and dismissing him after just a few days in Montlake and now his detainment, which doesn't bode well for him playing football again.

Former Husky commit arrested https://t.co/TXSKP6HTei
— WestCoastCFB (@WestCoastCFB) February 4, 2025

Several hours before Cook was taken into custody, UW coach Jedd Fisch on Monday was asked at a news conference what happened with this player and the Huskies, and Fisch sidestepped the question.

"He's no longer on our team," Fisch responded, quickly pivoting away from the subject.

The Huskies actively pursued Cook in the transfer portal because they were losing Giles Jackson, who used up his eligibility after catching 4 touchdown passes against Louisville in the Sun Bowl, and they needed to replace Jackson's speed and his ability to go deep.

Somewhat of a brash personality, Cook was one of the nation's top recruits when he emerged from DeSoto, Texas, in the Dallas metroplex, and signed with Steve Sarkisian's Longhorns team, yet he spent two seasons underachieving and eventually had to go elsewhere.

The UW seemed like an ideal landing spot for him, especially with Demond Williams Jr. emerging as a quarterback who can consistently deliver the football to his receivers. Yet Cook wasted that opportunity, lasting just a few days with the Huskies after reportedly missing training sessions and not fitting in with his new teammates.

Cook was committed to the UW for 17 days before he was dismissed on Jan. 14.

This article first appeared on Washington Huskies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: