Highlights & Evaluation: Louisville WR Commit Payton Cook

There's a new highest-ranked commitment for the Louisville football program's 2026 recruiting class, as Payton Cook has given his verbal pledge to the Cardinals.

Here is Louisville Cardinals On SI's full evaluation:

Prospect: Payton Cook
Position: Wide Receiver/Defensive Back
Measurables: 6-foot-2, 170 pounds
School: Akron (Oh.) Archbishop Hoban
Top Offers: Kentucky, Miami, Michigan, Tennessee, Wisconsin
247Sports Composite Rating (Nat'l Rank): 0.9081 (284th)

Payton Cook's Junior Year Highlights: HERE (Hudl)

Frame: Cook is in a very good spot when it comes to his physique's development. He already has good muscle tone throughout, but it also looks like he could add more weight if he wanted or is asked to. He's got good height, and an above average wingspan to go with it.

Athleticism: On film, Cook is regularly one of the more athletic players on the field. He's got great initial burst, and underrated open field speed (as evidenced by a laser-timed 4.60 40-Yard Dash as a sophomore). His lateral movement lags a tick behind his north-south capabilities, but his still has good overall footwork. Cook also has a great vertical, but doesn't use it very often.

Instincts: While Cook plays on both sides of the line, he definitely projects as a wide receiver at the college level. He's got a great release off the line of scrimmage, and whether it's a press or tight coverage downfield, Cook hardly ever lets contact knock him off his route. Thanks to his height/wingspan/vertical combination, he is excellent when it comes to high-pointing the ball, and he has good concentration on long or sideline throws. As far as his actual catching ability goes, he has great hands, and has a respectable catch radius. As a defensive back, he is always reading the eyes of the quarterback, but also still manages to always keep track of his man in his peripheral. Cook reacts incredibly fast when making breaks on the ball or ball carrier, and his chase down speed is very good.

Polish: On offense, Cook mainly lines up out wide, but is sometimes used as a gadget. While not super explosive laterally, he is still a fantastic overall route runner, as he seamlessly glides downfield an nearly every rep - which is a testament to his overall body control. He's got fantastic usage/placement of his feet when making sideline toe drag catches, and he regularly makes contested catches in traffic. On defense, he's usually lining up as a slot corner, but does sometimes play as a single deep high safety. He's a very hard hitter, but his tackling fundamentals could be improved a bit. His hips also get stiff at times when flipping them downfield.

Bottom Line: Overall, this is a fantastic addition to Louisville's already very good recruiting class. In terms of both his physique and his overall feel for the game (especially as a WR), Cook is very, very far along in his development. He has a couple things to clean up once he gets on campus, but this is someone who could push for year one playing time.

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