A former University of Texas football star has been arrested on misdemeanor charges of property theft and interference of public duties.
Texas Longhorns wide receiver Johntay Cook II – who was a five-star recruit in the Class of 2023 out of DeSoto, Texas – was being held at Lon Evans Corrections Center in Fort Worth, Texas, according to court records.
He is being held on $750 bond for each charge and has not yet posted.
Fort Worth police told Dallas area news station WFAA that Cook allegedly went into the ‘drive-thru of a business, reached inside the window and stole someone’s car keys.’
Police say Cook then ‘left the location’. Officers were able to make contact with Cook and he was arrested when he did not comply with their demands. The car keys were eventually recovered.
Cook departed the Longhorns in November of the 2024 college football season and declared for the transfer portal. He played just four games in the season, with his last game coming against SEC opponent Mississippi State on September 28.
Former Texas Longhorns wide receiver Johntay Cook II has been arrested in Fort Worth
Cook allegedly stole someone’s car keys out of a drive-thru and did not comply with officers
Cook played in four games this season for Texas before declaring for the transfer portal
Texas head football coach Steve Sarkisian did not reveal any specific details as to why Cook was leaving the team, but said the choice was mutual.
‘We have nothing but respect for [Cook] and his family,’ Sarkisian said at the time. ‘We wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.’
He was not a part of the team when they made a run to the College Football Playoff semifinals before falling to the eventual national champion Ohio State Buckeyes in the Cotton Bowl Classic.
According to 247Sports, Cook is a three-star transfer and listed as the 39th best receiver in the portal.
He initially committed to the University of Washington in late December 2024 before he re-entered the portal on January 14.
Last season with the Longhorns, Cook caught eight passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns. He ended the year as the ninth-best receiver on the team.
Across his career, he has 16 catches for 273 yards and two total touchdowns.
