Predicting Texas football’s next 2023 commit after TE Will Randle

Johntay Cook, WR

At this point of the offseason, it appears that the clear-cut top wide receiver target for the Longhorns 2023 class is the uber-talented and newly-minted five-star DeSoto product Johntay Cook. Texas is looking to get one of the top wide receivers classes in the nation, especially if they can land a commitment from the five-star Isidore Newman quarterback Arch Manning in the 2023 class.

And that process likely starts and ends with closing the deal with Cook by the fall.

The issue with saying that Cook could be the next commit up in the Longhorns 2023 class after landing the Louisiana tight end Randle is that we don’t exactly know how his timeline will shape up. It’s hard to see a world where Cook commits to Texas before Arch, if and when Manning joins the Longhorns 2023 class.

There was a point in time in the last few weeks where it looked like Cook could avert his official visit with the Oregon Ducks this weekend and take an unofficial to Texas. But he wound up sticking with his official visit to Eugene to see the Ducks.

Cook is now set to take an official visit with the Michigan Wolverines on June 20. That is the last official visit currently on the docket for Cook this summer. Although, it is anticipated that he will take official visits with the Longhorns and Aggies by the fall at the latest.

The fact of the matter with Cook is that his recruitment is largely reliant on what happens with the Longhorns and Arch. If Texas can secure a commitment from Arch by the fall, that could be what seals the deal for new wide receivers coach/passing game coordinator Brennan Marion and the Longhorns with Cook. Miss on Arch and Cook might be pushed more to a competing school on the recruiting trail such as Texas A&M.