Really Starting to Cook
Few players in the class of 2023 have been more vocal about their interest in the Sooners than DeSoto, Texas standout receiver Johntay Cook. The explosive pass-catcher has called the Sooners his ‘childhood dream school’ but the Sooners, as of late have been doing more and more to let him know of their similar interest. And if his work this spring is any indcation he'll do plenty more to catch their eye for DeSoto, Texas next fall.
His effort was embodied by his work at the recent Dallas Under Armour camp.
"I was getting in as many reps as I can, I just want to be seen, I want to be first, I want to be first at all times – be a leader, front of the line," Cook said. "I had a solid day, I can say I had one bad one on one rep because I was thinking about it so much. I told the QB I was running one route but ran another one because of the way the DB was playing me. I should have just run the route."
As a member of the class of 2023 it'd be easy to assume that Cook might shy away from some heralded upperclassmen but during the camp he and Terrance Brooks went head to head repeatedly.
"I was talking a little trash to him. It’s respect, he’s good, I’m not going to go against someone I know I’m better than, I want to go against someone who is going to make me better," he said.
Cook says that, along with Oklahoma, schools like Alabama, Texas, Baylor, Miami, South Carolina, and Ohio State are schools that are working hard for his attention early on. And traveling with his parents to see many of them this summer is his current plan.
"Me and my parents, (when) it opens up, we’re going to take some road trips. Kaidon Salter took a road trip and went to all of the schools around the country. I want to see all the schools that are recruiting me hard," he explained.
"(I'm) definitely going to Norman, going to Texas, going to LSU, Alabama, and you know some others I like."
Of those schools, Oklahoma is, again, the one that he grew up following and has done plenty to make him feel wanted early on in his recruitment.
"It’s good, I talk to them, almost every single day, maybe one day a week we miss. Sometimes we facetime, coach (Lincoln) Riley they’ve got this thing in their staff room and they’ve got this big screen and I get on there a lot. We just chop it up and they make me feel like I’m already there, already one of their players," Cook recalled.
"(Dennis Simmons) is just a really cool dude, he’s straight forward. If I went to Oklahoma, I feel like he could be a father awy from home. He is putting guys in the league, Ceedee (Lamb), Sterling (Shepard), Hollywood (Brown), that’s the ultimate goal in the end.
"They are saying, basically, they aren’t going to box you in and make you play X or put you in the slot and play slot. If you can play outside for a play or come and play slot."
Interestingly, he has some familiarity running routes with one current Sooner receiver.
"I see (what they are saying) on the field with Marvin (Mims), I know and train with Marvin, and they move him around."
Though he's a fan of the Sooners Cook is going to take his time with a decision and has no clear timeline set.
"I’m just going to do it the right way, I’m not going to rush it or drag it, when the time is right and I know what I want to do. I might be a guy to not even drop a top-anything, just commit – keep the media guessing."