FRISCO, Texas — Jimmy Horn Jr. doesn’t stand out in a crowd initially.
Standing just under 5′ 8″ and weighing in at 171 pounds, his physical build may be a part of the reason but it’s more than that. He doesn’t bring the typical wide receiver bravado. He observes more than he commands attention on the first day of the East-West Shrine Bowl. He tends to take things as they come. That’s not to say he doesn’t take things seriously. He has just learned that plans change, sometimes unexpectedly, and not everything can be controlled.
Coming out of Seminole High School in Florida, Horn was recruited by several schools, including Jackson State, where Deion Sanders was the head coach. He chose University of South Florida along with his high school teammate and quarterback.
“Coach Prime, he recruited me in high school to come to Jackson with them. And I was about to go to Jackson State. But instead, I went to USF with my high school quarterback, Tim McClain. I was like, if we go here together, we could just take over like high school, call it the nine to five. He was number nine in high school. I was five in high school. So was gonna call it nine to five.”
Neither player saw the success they had in high school, with USF going 2-10 and 1-11 in Horn’s first two seasons. Jimmy didn’t like losing and was already considering a transfer at the end of his first year. When the head coach was fired in November of Horn’s second season, the players had 30 days to enter the transfer portal. It was a big decision to make in a short timeframe. He prayed about his decision and felt that leaving was the right choice. Coach Prime came calling again, this time from Colorado.
The move from USF to Colorado was a big change for the native Floridian, not just because of the weather. With Hall of Famer Deion Sanders and his media machine, there was never a dull moment. Despite the constant presence of cameras and celebrities, Horn found a true mentor in his new head coach, who changed his game and helped him grow as a player.
“I feel like I’m still kind of the same player in the way I play. I’m just more aggressive with blocking and stuff like that. But [Coach Prime] taught me how to play under pressure too, because back at USF, we didn’t really have too many fans in the stands. And now I’m at the point like I feel like it’s pressure, but it ain’t no pressure, you know? So it just taught me how to keep my composure while I’m out there just playing while a lot of people are in the stands. And then just staying mentally right out there on the field, all the ups and downs.”
Even on a more successful team, things weren’t always easier. Horn was winning, but he wasn’t getting many opportunities as a receiver in a unit filled with talent, including Biletnikoff Award winner Travis Hunter, Will Sheppard, and LaJohntay Wester. So he found ways to contribute to special teams as a punt returner and later as a kick returner. Against Nebraska, he had three punt returns for 99 yards, including a long of 62 yards.
Injuries plagued Horn in his senior year, limiting his play and his chances to catch the eyes of NFL scouts. Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders expressed the disappointment he felt on behalf of his teammate when he spoke to the media in December.
Horn is now fully healthy and ready to add ‘NFL player’ to his resume. His performance during the Shrine Bowl week certainly seems to have improved his draft stock. Horn stacked four good days in practice, showing excellent footwork and precise route-running.
Horn is humble. Despite his time with the stars at Colorado and the film coverage provided on the “Coach Prime” TV series, Horn doesn’t seek the spotlight. While it’s clear he puts in the work, he attributes his skill on the field to natural tendencies.
“I feel like it comes natural, like as long as you just discipline out there on the field and doing like, all the right things that the coaches preach. Like I’ve been playing ball since I was seven. So, you gotta learn the fundamentals of like how to hold the ball, right eye to the catch eye, to the finish and stuff like that.”
Horn’s success is probably equal parts natural ability and diligent work. His 2024 stats (per PFF) credit him with a 5.7% drop rate on catchable passes, no fumbles, no interceptions when he is targeted, and only two penalties on the season. He remains focused on where he can improve, not what he has achieved.
“My main thing I really want to like clean up is like the, the light drop ball. You know, I just gotta keep my eyes on the ball and not try to get upfield before I catch the ball. Like that’s where all my drops come from and stuff.”
While he hasn’t been free of drops in practice this week — and that has as much to do with the quarterback play — Horn has displayed an ability to extend his catch radius in the air when facing taller defensive backs.
If Horn’s playmaking abilities aren’t enough to impress Pittsburgh fans, he’s also a Steelers fan. It became official in 2010, the year Antonio Brown was drafted. Horn definitely models his game after AB. As a kid, Horn was also a fan of safety Troy Polamalu when playing Madden.
“I used to play Madden 10. And I used to stay playing with the Steelers. Every time I get a hit with Troy, he makes somebody fumble on the game.”
Horn stated that he had met with Steelers scouts this week in Frisco. He opted to sit out of the Shrine Bowl game, most likely to avoid the risk of injury. Beyond that, he will continue training for the Combine. And despite his quiet demeanor and smaller-than-average stature for an NFL wide receiver, Jimmy Horn Jr. is about to start getting noticed.
