FORT WORTH, Texas — Former Texas Longhorns and DeSoto High School wide receiver Johntay Cook II was arrested and booked into Tarrant County Jail on Tuesday, according to jail logs.
Tarrant County records show Cook was arrested by the Fort Worth Police Department (FWPD) on a pair of misdemeanors: theft and interfering with public duties. Cook was in the Lon Evans Corrections Center Tuesday morning, and a bond amount was not posted as of this writing, records showed.
WFAA has reached out to Fort Worth police for more information regarding Cook’s arrest.
Cook was a former five-star recruit out of DeSoto High School and one of the top wide receivers in his class. He committed to the Texas Longhorns in 2023, but unexpectedly left Texas in November 2024, WFAA’s Austin sister station, KVUE reported.
Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian declined to provide details on the decision but said it was mutual, according to KVUE.
“We have nothing but respect for [Cook] and his family,” Sarkisian told reporters. “We wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.”
Cook committed to Washington on Dec. 28, but weeks later, The Seattle Times reported Cook was no longer playing with the team for reasons unknown. According to the report, Cook was enrolled on time and on campus to start classes in January. His Instagram account appeared to show him back home in the Dallas area in mid-January, KVUE reported.
Cook had 16 catches for 273 yards and two touchdowns in 20 games for Texas.