25 Players in 25 Days: #3 Isaiah Horton

Position: Wide Receiver
Classification: Graduate
Hometown: Nashville, TN
Listed Height: 6-4
Listed Weight: 215 lbs.

Key notes from Buchanan’s thoughts on Horton

• What we were just talking about is that you need to always be careful because Isaiah Horton catches everything. There's nothing that guy can't catch. I've watched him through the spring and through August. I've never seen him drop anything. If it's there to be caught, he catches it. But that's what I said through spring. Am I wrong? No.
   
• Horton was good at Miami last year and at Alabama. I think he had a lot of receivers to throw to. I think he caught between 40 and 50 passes, probably had around 500 yards, maybe more than that, but I know he led Alabama in touchdown catches. I think he had like eight touchdown catches.
   
• What Horton gives you that A&M didn't have last year, as you were talking about it, is that big receiver who can go up and make that 50-50 ball into a 60-40 ball, or maybe even better, 70-30.
   
• As great as KC Concepcion was, and we wish he was still here, you definitely lose something by not having Concepcion there. But at the same time, you add a guy with a greater catch radius. He can go up and get that ball over cornerbacks easily. Usually, cornerbacks are around 5-foot-11 to 6 feet tall, maybe shorter. They may be a little bit taller in some cases, but Horton is going to be much taller than most cornerbacks he's facing. Just throw him the jump ball and let him go get it. He definitely can do that.
   
• Horton runs good routes. I saw him this week catch a back shoulder fade on the sideline where he was well covered. It was a good pass, but again, he's catching it. He catches everything. Horton is an outstanding acquisition for A&M. So glad he's here.
   
• I think what you said is right. Horton’s going to add a new element. As good as A&M's offense was, and it was spectacular most of last year, there was a missing piece. It was that big “X” receiver that can, again, get you the ball. Yeah, you make plays like anybody can, but he also makes plays that other players can't because he's so big and physical. He has a new dimension.
   
• Horton is everything you typically get from a Mike Elko transfer. He went from Miami to Alabama, and I think he was better at Alabama than he was at Miami. Of course, he was also older, and he probably had a better quarterback throwing to him. I think we're going to see the absolute best version of Horton. I would be willing to go Brendan Sorsby here and bet that Horton is going to have the best year of his career.
   
• KC Concepcion had nine receiving touchdowns and two punt return touchdowns last year. Yeah. But that's just replacing some of the productivity, right? I'm looking forward to it. Horton's not going to be returning punts, but I was talking about receiving.
   
• The best year of Horton’s career was in Miami, where he had 616 yards in 2024. He was over 600 yards once in Miami. I would not be surprised. In fact, I would even expect him to have at least one more than 616. He had five touchdowns that year with 56 catches.
   
• It's funny. Rarely can you lose a player of the caliber of Concepcion and say you have a chance to be overall better at that position than he left. We've talked about this all offseason.