Wide receiver Johntay Cook transferred to Ole Miss from Syracuse in January because of two things: Opportunity and the chance to play with a Heisman Trophy candidate as his quarterback in Trinidad Chambliss.
Now he’s wrapping up his first spring practice with the Rebels and has moved to the front of that pack among Ole Miss pass catchers.
“I just felt like the time was right,” said Cook. “Right place, right fit and why not?”
Cook caught 45 passes for 549 yards and two touchdowns last season at Syracuse. Prior to that, he was a Texas Longhorn where he amassed 32 catches for 238 yards across two season in the burnt orange. A blue-chip prospect coming out of Desoto (Texas) High School, he was a five-star and rated as one of America’s top wide receivers in the 2023 high school class.
Cook has been described by head coach Pete Golding as a guy who loves football. What does loving football mean to Cook?
“I’m from Texas, so it’s crazy to say it like this, but it’s football or bust,” related Cook. “If you’ve got this talent, you’ve got to maximize it, essentially get my mom from stop having to go to work.”
Cook smiles when asked about his relationship with Trinidad Chambliss, the man he knows he is depending on to deliver him the football this fall.
“It’s growing. It’s growing, and it’s growing fast and it’s growing great,” he said. “Best quarterback in the country. Most of the time, I just got to catch the ball, just be in my spot and just catch the ball. It’s really that easy. Great guy, great leader.”
Johntay Cook
CONNECTION WITH GILL
Cook transferred to Ole Miss alongside fellow Syracuse receiving mate Darrell Gill.
“That’s my dog,” he said. “I’ve been knowing him a little bit over a year now. We’re both Texas guys. he was really one of the only guys when I first got to Syracuse that accepted me…just like from a competition opponent…But that’s my dog. We’re here. We’re battling. Two dogs in a fight with each other.”