The Ole Miss Rebels have experienced some major changes in their wide receiver room this offseason.
Ole Miss saw Harrison Wallace III and De'Zhaun Stribling head off to the NFL while Winston Watkins Jr. and Cayden Lee both transferred to fellow SEC programs, joining LSU and Missouri, respectively.
As a result, the Rebels had to go into the portal and bring in five new receivers for quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, and Syracuse transfer Johntay Cook II might be the most interesting among them.
Syracuse Orange wide receiver Johntay Cook (2) makes a catch against the Boston College Eagles during the second half at the JMA Wireless Dome. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
A five-star prospect in the 2023 recruiting class out of DeSoto, TX, Cook signed with the Texas Longhorns out of high school and had just eight catches for 136 yards as a freshman.
Cook was expected to emerge into a bigger role during his second year at Texas in 2024. He showed signs of growth early on that season, catching two touchdowns in a blowout win over UTSA.
However, Steve Sarkisian announced a few months later that Cook and Texas had parted ways. His sudden exit came in the middle of the season, and the exact reason remains unknown to this day. Cook's career at Texas had come to an unexpected end.
Prior to the end of that season, he committed to the Washington Huskies out of the portal but was kicked off the team a little over a month later for a violation of team rules.
It wasn't long after that he committed to Syracuse, where he spent the 2025 season.
Syracuse Orange wide receiver Johntay Cook (2) celebrates after a touchdown against the Tennessee Volunteers in the second quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Though the off-the-field concerns can't be ignored, it appears that Cook used last season at Syracuse to regather himself and get his college career back on track. Fran Brown runs a tight ship in upstate New York, and likely wouldn't have kept Cook on the roster if there were any more signs of immaturity.
The solid production was there with the Orange -- 45 catches for 549 yards and two touchdowns -- but it's clear Cook has another level he can reach. There's a reason why he was a five-star prospect out of high school and was coveted by the top programs in the country.
The speed and skill is there. Now it's about putting the past behind him and giving the Ole Miss offense an added boost that it will need if the Rebels want to make it back to the College Football Playoff.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/olemiss as Buying or Selling the Early Hype Around Ole Miss WR Johntay Cook .
