Texas receiver Johntay Cook II uses his NIL deal to reward Longhorns with preseason gift

The best NIL deals reward both the individual player and his teammates.

Sure, it’s great for Texas receiver Johntay Cook II to get some free UT-inspired headphones. But it’s better when all the Longhorns get them, too.

Cook was named a Beats by Dre headphones brand ambassador for the second year of the company’s push into college football. The “Beats Elite” class features multiple players from high-profile programs, like Georgia’s Carson Beck, Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel and Alabam’s Jalen Milroe.

Cook showed off some UT-themed headphones on his social media earlier this week. On Friday, a new video emerged on Cook’s Instagram showing giddy teammates all opening their lockers and getting a pair for themselves.

“Locked in for the season with @beatsbydre,” Cook posted on Instagram. “#hookem.”

It wasn’t long before the post racked up 1,000-plus likes from coach Steve Sarkisian and Cook’s teammates.

Cook is entering his sophomore season with UT after catching eight passes for 136 yards as a freshman last year. The DeSoto, Texas, product came to UT after participating in the 2023 Under Armour All-America Game and was the eighth-best overall recruit in the state, according to Rivals.

The Horns are stacked at receiver this season, and some believe this is the deepest positional unit in the nation. Sarkisian himself has said it’s conceivable that UT could rotate three receivers at a time.