What Byrnes football coaches want from Knai Cook now that his twin brothers have graduated

DUNCAN — The 2023 high school football season will be different for Byrnes senior defensive back Knai Cook. For the first time since he's been in high school, he will be the only Cook brother lining up for the Rebels on Friday nights at Nixon Field.

The three Cook boys − Knai, the youngest, and his twin brothers Kyai Cook, a football player at Brown, and Kwai Cook, a football player at Limestone − have been key players for coach Reggie Shaw and the Byrnes football program the past few seasons. But now that his brothers have graduated, the hard-hitting safety is ready to make the Cook name all his own.

"He's the little brother, even though he's the biggest and most physical of the three," Shaw said. "So it's nice to see him come into his own. He's been in his brothers' shadows somewhat, but now ... he's embraced being in the spotlight a bit, and we're really excited to see what's in his future."

"It feels like with my brothers not on the field with me that all eyes are on me this season," Cook said. "So that's just become my mindset going into this year, all eyes on me."

Finish the mission

According to their father, Fred Cook, the three brothers have always been competitive.

"Even when they come home, they would always be bragging to each other, saying, 'I got one up on you,' and 'you didn't get me.' It was a very, very competitive environment. To me, it was always so much fun to watch them go at each other in practice," Fred Cook said.

Knai Cook recalls going head-to-head with his brothers in practice as an almost out-of-body experience.

"We just zoned out when we faced up against each other," he said. "We knew whoever won the rep would get bragging rights, so we like just focused in on each other and almost played those reps like they were one-on-one, while the other 20 players on the field did their own thing."

That competitiveness has driven the three brothers throughout their football career, but now the youngest Cook brother, who is No. 12 on the 864Huddle's Dandy Dozen list of top prospects in the Upstate, is using it to accomplish something neither of his older brothers could do: Win a state championship.

"Finish the mission. That's been our motto all offseason," he said.

Fred Cook can see that motivation in his youngest son. "He (Knai) really wants to win that state championship. And it's a competitive thing, for sure, because he knows if he finishes this, he's going to have one up on his brothers for the rest of their lives ... he's going to be able to have those bragging rights and say he's the only Cook boy to finish this thing," he said.

"Man, if he wins state, I’m not gonna hear the end of it," Kyai Cook said.

Despite losing the older Cook brothers, Byrnes returns one of the most talented groups in the state including three-star juniors Chamarryus Bomar and Armoni Weaver at cornerback.

Add in the talent on the defensive line and an always high-powered offense and Byrnes has a real chance to make a run. But in the SEC West of South Carolina high school football - Region 2-AAAAA - and mighty Dutch Fork looming it will be a tough road for the Rebels to conquer.

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Time to lead

Cook, a 5-foot-11, 200-pound safety, has 10 offers, including Arkansas State, Charlotte and The Citadel.

But to "finish the mission" and get those bragging rights amid a daunting path, the more reserved of the three Cook boys has been challenged by his coaches to step out of his comfort zone and lead.

"He's a great person, with strong character. He's dependable, just everything you want as a coach," Shaw said. "But he's kind of quiet, so we've challenged him this season to get out of his comfort zone and be a vocal leader for us.

"He's really embraced that role for us on defense. You have to be vocal to play safety. You have to speak up to make those checks, to call out routes as they develop, and he's done that."

Cook is ready to step out of the shadow cast by his two older brothers, but despite everything he's done to leave his own legacy at Byrnes, he still catches himself looking for No. 2 and No. 35 on the practice field.

"It's weird, especially when we're scrimmaging," he said. "I'll just be looking at the offense trying to find somebody to guard and I'll just remember that Kyai's not over there and Kwai's not next to me."

This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: Byrnes football: Knai Cook ready to lead after twin brothers graduated