The Texas Longhorns find themselves facing a significant setback as their wide receiver, Johntay Cook, has made an unexpected decision to leave the program. Cook, a sophomore player, and highly regarded 5-star recruit, joined the team in 2022 and was seen as a crucial addition. Unfortunately, it seems that Cook’s experience did not unfold as he had hoped. In a recent twist of events, there are indications that Cook may choose to join the Oregon Ducks program, which could be troubling news for Steve Sarkisian and the Texas team.

Today, insider Dayton Walker mentioned that there might be a possibility that Johntay Cook might opt for Dan Lannings’ Oregon program as he shares a very close connection with Ducks wide receiver Evan Stewart. Taking it to Twitter, Dayton said, “If @_jayythegreat_commits to the Oregon Ducks because @0fficial_evan is longtime best friends with Johntay, and that combination will be the most lethal duo in college football history, and cooking is like a sports car you don’t keep garage kept. With cooks, it’s imperative to give him all the playing time that he wants.” The friendship part was fine, but the game time put Sarkisian and his team in a tricky spot.

The moment Johntay Cook decided to enter the transfer market, he got an offer from three prestigious programs: the Georgia Bulldogs , Ole Miss Rebels, and the Oregon Ducks. Well, all three programs are exceptional, both in terms of their coaches and gameplay. However, landing in the Ducks might be a smart choice for Johntay, except for the reasons mentioned by the insider. Interesting right?

If Johntay Cook decides to enter the Oregon program, there is a strong chance that he will serve as a replacement for Tez Johnson and Evan Stewart, who will be in the NFL next year. It looks like Cook did a lot of research before entering the transfer portal. Also, Oregon was his first choice before choosing the Longhorns, so this time he can go for it. For now, let’s see how Sarkisian took Johntay’s sudden move.

Steve Sarkisian’s reaction over Johntay Cook’s exit

Losing a standout player like Johnny Cook in the middle of the season, when things are already intense, causes a lot of stress. But it looks like Steve Sarkisian saw it coming. Addressing his thoughts on Johntay’s exit on the Lone Star Live, he said, “We try to really pride ourselves on being a heck of a developmental program, and I think that we have some living examples on our roster today of guys that maybe weren’t frontline starters in year one or year two and then developed into really productive players in year three or even in year four.” Well, even though Sarkisian didn’t directly point out anything, it looks like Johnny was not happy with his time on the field.

This season, the Texas Longhorns team barely used Johnny Cook, which was quite evident looking at his stats. As the young wide receiver only scored 16 catches for 273 yards with two touchdowns. This also perfectly aligns with the statement given by insider Dayton Walker on the playing time being a possible reason for Johntay’s dissatisfaction with the program. Now that Cook has decided to enter the transfer portal, let’s hope he lands up in a team where his abilities get intensified and he can finally make his long-awaited charged-up debut in the next season.