Myson Johnson-Cook

Physical Profile

Listed at 6-2, 225 lbs. Taller than 80% and heavier than 100% of 2027 Athlete prospects in the SEC Scouts database (15 with a listed size).

Play Style

His numbers point to a one-cut, home-run runner. He averaged 10.6 yards per carry with a small share of touches, and several games came from a handful of explosive runs, like 251 yards on 12 carries. At his size, he can press the line on zone runs, plant and get past the second level before safeties can take good angles. In the East St. Louis offense he's been a runner, not a receiver. So how he reads blocks, how patient he is and how he handles blitz pickup still need to be confirmed on film and in fall 2026 senior tape. He opened the 2026 season with 11 carries for 84 yards against Chicago Mt. Carmel.

Strengths

• Breakaway speed: a 10.30 100m personal best and 10.6 yards per carry show he turns openings into long touchdowns, not just 8-yard gains. In a playoff win over Glenwood he had 251 yards on 12 carries (about 21 per carry).
• Size and speed together: at 225-235 pounds he can take inside-zone and power carries without being taken off the field in short-yardage and goal-line situations. That's part of why ESPN and 247 both have him as a top-4 back.
• Big-game production: he had 168 yards and 4 TDs against St. Laurence and a big day in the state title game against Fenwick. He has also produced at three schools (Decatur MacArthur, DeSoto TX and East St. Louis), including 911 yards and 14 TDs at DeSoto against Texas 6A competition.

Areas to Improve

• Receiving work: he had only 3 catches for 45 yards in 2025. Route running, catching away from his body and pass protection are mostly unproven, and those are the skills that keep an SEC back on the field on third down.
• Workload and consistency: 126 carries in 12 games is only about 10.5 per game, a light high-school load. He needs to show he can stay efficient and healthy on 18-22 carries against SEC defensive fronts. He also needs to keep his pads low as a taller runner, and he's had to learn a new offense at each of his three high schools.

College Projection

He has a realistic chance at meaningful carries as a true freshman in 2027 in a rotation, especially as the explosive-play and short-yardage back. He'd benefit from enrolling in January to learn protections and add weight during spring practice. A more full-time role by his second year (2028) is likely if his receiving and pass protection develop. Given the rankings consensus (top-4 RB at ESPN and 247) and the investment Golesh's staff made to beat out Miami, he should be expected to become a featured SEC back by year 2 or 3.

NFL Outlook

He has day-two draft potential if things go right. NFL teams pay for backs who combine 225+ pounds with legitimate 4.4 or faster speed, and his track times suggest he'd test near the top of a running back class. Whether he's a draft pick or a first/second-round pick depends on developing as a receiver and pass protector. Without those skills he projects as an early-down and short-yardage specialist, which usually means the middle rounds. He'd be draft-eligible after the 2029 season at the earliest.

Best Fit

An offense built on inside and outside zone and gap runs that gets its backs into space with tempo and spread spacing, which fits Alex Golesh's approach at Auburn. Spread formations force light boxes, so a 230-pound back with 10.3 speed faces fewer tacklers and more one-on-one chances. He'd also benefit from a staff that deliberately develops backs as receivers (angle routes, wheel routes, screens) so he becomes a three-down player instead of a pure rusher.