Texas Football: 4 overreactions from Horns tenacious win vs. Iowa State

Johntay Cook II becomes Quinn Ewers’ new favorite target down the stretch

A key starter the Longhorns lost in the win over Iowa State this weekend was junior wide receiver Xavier Worthy. Late in the second half, Worthy headed to the locker room to get further evaluation on an injury that wasn’t specifically disclosed during the broadcast or by Sark in his postgame press conference.

Worthy was seen on the sideline in street clothes in the fourth quarter, though, after he was ruled out due to an injury.

We don’t know for sure what the nature of Worthy’s injury is or how long he might be out for. But if he does miss time late this season or he is limited, that could open the door for true freshman wide receiver Johntay Cook II to get more live-game reps on offense at the field spot.

Cook took a handful of live-game snaps on offense in the second half, including after Worthy left the game due to injury. For the first time in three weeks, though, Cook didn’t receive a single target.

If Cook takes more first-team reps at receiver in practice this week, it would make sense that he gets more targets against Texas Tech in the finale next week. It would also make sense to get Cook more targets down the stretch this season, when possible, with Worthy expected to declare for the 2024 NFL Draft next offseason.

Moreover, Worthy has arguably been Texas’ best wide receiver this season. He leads the team in targets, receptions, and receiving yards. Losing him for any live-game action would be a huge detriment to the Texas offense.