Johntay Cook II doesn't want to waste the opportunity at hand

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OXFORD – Senior wide receiver Johntay Cook II knew he wanted to play with Trinidad Chambliss. What he didn’t know was how much the Ole Miss quarterback wanted to be his teammate.

Cook was a five-star recruit in the 2023 class, according to the 247Sports Composite, was rated as the No. 30 overall player and No. 3 wide receiver. He enrolled at Texas and caught 16 passes for 273 yards and two touchdowns over parts of two seasons. Cook left the team in November of 2024 in what was a “mutual decision,” according to ESPN, and entered the transfer portal.

Cook committed to Washington in December 2024 but spent just two or so days on campus, according to On3’s Pete Nakos. According to WFAA Dallas, Cook was arrested twice in February of 2025 for “theft and interfering with public duties” and for “possession of marijuana of less than two ounces.” He eventually enrolled at Syracuse for the 2025 season and set career highs with 45 catches for 549 yards and two touchdowns.

Cook entered the transfer portal again in the offseason and was mesmerized by Chambliss’ heroics during the Rebels’ College Football Playoff run to the national semifinal. What Cook didn’t expect, though, was a FaceTime call with the signal caller as the former was in the midst of planning a trip to a different school entirely.

“Just go into my mind for a little bit. You watch the playoffs, you watch what this dude (does). You just basically see that he’s on the top of the world, right?” Cook said. “You get in the portal or whatever, you’re on the phone with a whole other school, setting up a visit to go to this school tomorrow, right? You get a text in your Instagram being from Trinidad Chambliss. ‘What’s your number, bro?’ You send him your number, you get a FaceTime call, he’s just like, ‘What’s up bro, we need you. Can we get you out here tonight?’”

Cook has his wish to play with Chambliss. And given his journey to this point, the DeSoto, Texas native understands he needs to make the most of his current opportunity.

“Honestly, it’s do or die. It’s honestly do or die,” Cook said before reframing his thought process. “But I wouldn’t look at it as do or die. I think it’s just, it’s time, you know?”

There are ample opportunities to be had for Rebels pass catchers in 2026 with Chambliss back under center. The program lost 2,380 receiving yards worth of production in the offseason with the departures of Harrison Wallace III, De’Zhaun Stribling and Cayden Lee. Ole Miss returns junior Deuce Alexander, who caught 44 passes for 684 yards and two touchdowns last season, but does not have another returning player who had more than 200 receiving yards in 2025.

In addition to Cook, Ole Miss brought in former Syracuse teammate Darrell Gill Jr., former Auburn receiver Horatio Fields, former Virginia Tech receiver Isaiah Spencer and former Kentucky receiver Cameron Miller through the transfer portal this offseason. Ole Miss also returns former blue-chip receiver recruits Caleb Cunningham, Samari Reed and Dillon Alfred.

“We’re just as good as anybody in the country, honestly. That’s in a nutshell what I can say,” Cook said. “ … People have all these question marks (about the receiver room) and all of these not-so-nice things to say about us. … We have skill sets for everything.”

Rebels offensive coordinator John David Baker explained the uniqueness of Cook’s skillset, describing the 5-foot-11, 185-pounder as someone who “gives you a lot of different options of how you can put the ball in his hand.”

“He’s one of those guys that stands out when you go into a one-on-one period,” Baker said. “ … He has explosive traits and movements. He has an understanding of how to get himself open in man coverage. … And for being such a guy that’s explosive like that and great in man, he also has a great feel for zone stuff. … Also, a ball-in-hand guy, like jet sweeps, those types of things. You can do those type of things with him.”

Top-100 recruit commits to Ole Miss

Hattiesburg High School defensive lineman Antavion Allen – rated as a top-100 player in the 2028 class and a four-star recruit in the 247Sports Composite — has committed to Ole Miss, he announced on social media Tuesday morning.

Allen, listed at 6-4, 289 pounds, had offers from Alabama, Florida, LSU, Oregon and Texas A&M, among others. He is rated as the No. 9 defensive line prospect in the 2028 class and No. 2 player in Mississippi, per the 247 Composite.

Allen had 18 sacks and 21 tackles-for-loss as a sophomore for the Tigers.

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