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2027 4-star ATH Myson Johnson-Cook transfers to East St. Louis

IMG_8358by: Andy Villamarzo07/30/25Andy_Villamarzo
DeSoto's Myson Cook Johnson is tripped up in a Texas high school football game.
DeSoto's Myson Cook Johnson is tripped up by Miller's Delson Cavaness during Friday's game at the Alamodome on Sept. 13, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas. (Angela Piazza/Caller-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

Ahead of a loaded national slate of high school football games for the 2025 season, the East St. Louis (Ill.) Flyers got a whole lot better on Wednesday afternoon via a transfer.

According to a social media post on Instagram by 2027 4-star athlete Myson Johnson-Cook, the junior dynamo is transferring from DeSoto (Texas) to the Flyers. The Eagles are currently ranked No. 3 in the country via the 2025 Preseason Top 25 Massey Ratings, while the Flyers sit at No. 52, respectively.

Johnson-Cook, who holds a On3 NIL valuation of $148,000 entering his junior year, now enters the 2025 season as the No. 1 ranked player in all of Illinois and No. 2 nationally as an athlete. The transfer for Johnson-Cook should vault the Flyers up the national rankings as they will be playing quite arguably one of the toughest schedules in all of the country.

The Flyers start the fall against Bergen Catholic (N.J.) in the Battle at the Beach Classic on Aug. 28, played at the historic Carey Stadium in Ocean City. Following that contest, East St. Louis will welcome Florida’s Gadsden County, which finished as the state’s runnerup in the Class 2A classification.

East St. Louis also travels out to Sin City to take on nationally-ranked Bishop Gorman on Sep. 12 and close out regular season play when they head down to Bradenton, Florida to take on IMG Academy.

The 2027 star should help provide another punch on the offensive side of the ball for the Flyers. In 2024, Johnson-Cook rushed for 911 yards on 88 carries (10.4 yards per carry) and scored 14 touchdowns for DeSoto.

When it comes to which schools are interested in the running back, it’s a who’s who of colleges looking into getting a commitment from the 6-foot-3, 220-pound bruiser.

Among the schools that have already offered Johnson-Cook are Alabama, Baylor, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, LSU, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, Texas, Texas A&M and Tennessee.

For even more in-depth coverage of Illinois high school sports, and to chat with other fans, visit EdgyTim.com.