Texas A&M’s usage of Evan Stewart will impact 4-Star WR Johntay Cook
Among the top targets for the 2022 Texas football recruiting class and head coach Steve Sarkisian at the outset of that cycle was the elite five-star Frisco-Liberty wide receiver and new Texas A&M Aggies signee Evan Stewart. Texas once even held a commitment from Stewart as he was one of the early critical pieces in the 2022 class just after Sark was hired to replace Tom Herman as the head coach.
Yet, Sark and the Longhorns would eventually be beaten out by the Aggies in the race to land a commitment from Stewart after a roller coaster ride in terms of results on the field last fall. That was definitely one of the bigger misses on the recruiting trail for Sark and the Longhorns staff for the 2022 class.
The importance of Stewart as far as the impact he can make on the recruiting trail for the Longhorns is far from over, though. According to a report from Inside Texas this weekend (part of the On3 Network, paid content), the Longhorns could see the recruitment of the highly touted four-star 2023 DeSoto wide receiver Johntay Cook play out similar to how Stewart’s did in terms of the mysteriousness.
Stewart was one of the more polarizing and abrupt five-star Longhorns’ recruiting targets that we saw in the last half-decade or so. While it doesn’t look like Cook’s recruitment will bring the same level of polarization to the table for the Longhorns that Stewart’s did, the narrative could still be similar.
How Texas A&M utilizes WR Evan Stewart will have an impact on Texas football pursuing Johntay Cook
Texas looks to sit in a good position with Cook at the moment. But Texas will need to continue to push this year to show progress in terms of how the roster is being built out, along with momentum on the recruiting trail, and of course the results on the field this fall. If Texas can accomplish those three tasks in the next eight or nine months, it will go a long way to sealing the deal with Cook.
But another factor that will play into the recruitment of Cook will be how the Aggies utilize Stewart right away in 2022. If head coach Jimbo Fisher can get this Texas A&M offense successfully going with Stewart as a key cog in the machine, it will be hard for Cook not to be impressed.
If the Aggies aren’t able to successfully work Stewart into the offense right away in 2022, that should play to the Longhorns’ benefit. Cook is the type of prospect that will want to make an immediate impact wherever he chooses to take his talents out of DeSoto High School.
Texas proved last fall that they can work in an elite talent at wideout right away as a true freshman last season with breakthrough stud Xavier Worthy. And the Longhorns are starting to piece together a pretty solid offense all-around with their elite group of offensive linemen in the 2022 signing class and new potential starting quarterback Quinn Ewers.
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The lone commit for the Longhorns in the 2023 class at the moment is the touted four-star Arlington-Seguin defensive back Jamel Johnson. But Texas is looking to start getting some key commits rolling into their 2023 class soon, such as Cook.