East St. Louis adds nation’s No. 2 running back to deep football roster

The East St. Louis Flyers were already a prohibitive favorite to win a second straight Class 6A state football title this year, and that was before recently getting one of the most sought-after recruits in the country.

The Flyers received Myson Johnson-Cook as a transfer from a big-time Texas high school, DeSoto. Cook, a junior this coming season, already has more than 40 Division 1 offers and currently ranks second nationally as an athlete in ESPN’s class of 2027.

At a practice last week, Flyers head coach Darren Sunkett wouldn’t take questions and wouldn’t permit an interview with Johnson-Cook.

A running back, Cook played his freshman season at Decatur MacArthur in Illinois. Flyers coach Darren Sunkett’s program is a powerful draw for potential transfers, however, so Cook will presumably lead a backfield that already was teeming with talent.

Listed at 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, Cook has run the 40 in 4.39 seconds. Last season for DeSoto, he ran for 911 yards on 88 carries -- a 10.4 yards-per-carry average) -- and 14 rushing touchdowns.

Cook reportedly has already made informal visits to schools such as Oregon and Ohio State, with another report saying Georgia has made Cook their top priority as a 2027 recruit.

Under Sunkett, the Flyers have won nine straight Southwestern Division titles and five state titles. The Flyers are coming off a 14-0 season, capped off by a 48-28 Class 6A state title win over Geneva.