While the Texas Longhorns are focused on their immediate goal, the upcoming game against Arizona State, Steve Sarkisian is gradually starting to shape his team for the next season. With Arch Manning confirmed as the starting QB, the Texas squad will be without a key offensive player, as he has transferred to another program through the transfer portal.
When many had his arrival at the Florida Gators all but confirmed, Johntay Cook II ultimately committed to the Washington Huskies, meaning he will not be joining Manning in the Longhorns’ offense next season.
The news was confirmed by National Recruiting Analyst Mike Roach of @247sports via his official X (formerly Twitter) account @MikeRoach247: “BREAKING: Washington lands Texas transfer WR Johntay Cook. The former Top247 prospect went into detail about why the Huskies were the right team for a fresh start.”
In this way, the Huskies secure a great player at the WR position, who could have been crucial for Texas in the upcoming season. From now on, it will be up to Sarkisian to find a suitable replacement for his talent in order to avoid weakening his roster.
Johntay Cook II 1 of the Texas Longhorns during pregame warmups before the game vs the UTSA Roadrunners at DKR-Memorial Stadium.
Throughout his two seasons at Texas, Cook ended his Longhorns career with just 16 catches for 273 yards and two touchdowns. He was expected to have a stronger 2024 season, however, he finished well behind teammates like Isaiah Bond, Matthew Golden, DeAndre Moore Jr., and Silas Bolden.
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Nick Saban sees the Longhorns as a title contender
An authoritative voice in analyzing NCAAF teams is undoubtedly the experienced HC Nick Saban. Now as an analyst, he sees the Texas Longhorns as a serious contender for the National Championship, as he made clear during his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.
“The thing that impressed me most about Texas in the Clemson game is the way they ran the ball,” Saban said. “They ran the ball up and down the field on these guys. I’ve always said this — if you don’t run the ball, well, you have trouble in the red area. They didn’t have the same issues in the red area because of their ability to run the ball… They did a good job. They made some explosive plays. They’ve got explosive players. So, I think Texas is one of the best four teams out there that has a chance to get in the championship game.”
Former Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban looks on before the game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Bryant-Denny Stadium on September 28, 2024 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Michael Taaffe praises the work of his Defensive Coordinator
Defensive Coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski is undoubtedly one of the key figures behind the Longhorns‘ efficiency in this department. Not only for what he conveys to his players but also for the positive atmosphere he maintains within the team. This is how junior safety Michael Taaffe expressed it.
“Practice execution equals game reality,” Taaffe said. “He says that one quite a lot. [It] kinda helps us practice like we should play every single week.”
“PK, the type of guy he is, is he’s so calm to where he can get on our tails if we’re not doing what we need to do, but if things are freaking out, if they just completed a 50-yard bomb and it’s a two-minute situation and we call a timeout and everybody’s freaking out, ‘Oh no, are they going to score and beat us,’ PK is the one that’s not freaking out,” Taaffe said.
“He’s the one that’s calming everybody down. He’s the leader that we need. He’s saying ‘Alright, here we go, we’re going to go [do] this next call, everybody just calm down and do your job, execute, let’s get off the field, let’s win this game.’ He shows up in big games and calls the right calls and puts us in a great spot.”
