Horton adds extra dimension to A&M's passing attack

Click here to view Texas A&M’s Thursday press conference.

Flashback about seven months…give or take.

With the portal open, Texas A&M took advantage.

But the portal addition that received the most Aggie fanfare was Isaiah Horton.

A 6-foot-4 and 215-pound receiver from Alabama, Horton will now wear a No. 7 jersey in Aggieland.

While some might try to contest the excitement levels surrounding his commitment, what can’t be contested is Horton’s ability to win, well, contests.

“He’s been what we were hoping we were getting in that he’s a big, tall, physical receiver,” head coach Mike Elko said on Thursday. “He adds a different dimension to the room, maybe a dimension that we were missing last year in terms of pure size and height, the ability to go and make contested catches.

“Excited to see what he’s able to do and what he’s able to put together as we move forward into the fall.”

Often described as a receiver in a linebacker’s body, Horton caught 42 passes for 511 yards and eight scores in his lone campaign with the Crimson Tide.

Across four seasons in college football, which includes three as a Miami Hurricane, his totals add up to 112 receptions for 1,301 yards and 14 scores in 44 total games.

In just over a week, Horton will make his A&M debut against Missouri State at Kyle Field.

It’s fair to expect that plenty of the 102,000 pairs of eyes will be on No. 7 when the Aggie offense steps between the lines.

However, he’s just one of the weapons at quarterback Marcel Reed’s disposal.

“We’ve built chemistry,” Horton said of his signal-caller. “He’s embracing me, showing me the ways of the Aggie culture and just bringing me into this culture and this program. We do our own little one-on-ones off the field, but other than that, it’s all been about the team.”

Danny Grant, TexAgs

Through 44 games, Isaiah Horton averages 11.6 yards per reception and 29.6 yards per game.

All-SEC pick Mario Craver is perhaps the most dynamic.

Breakout candidate Ashton Bethel-Roman is perhaps the fastest.

Former-five-star-turned-veteran Terry Bussey has taken perhaps the biggest jump.

Then there’s true freshman Aaron Gregory, who is perhaps the most talented.

Along with Horton, Aggie fans hope the A&M passing attack can be the SEC’s most productive.

“All of them have a ton of ability,” offensive coordinator Holmon Wiggins said last week. “Everyone of them brings a different characteristic or skill set, just as far as being able to attack the ball, play the ball, speed, drop their weight. As a collective, they all do some great things on the field that opens up what we’re trying to do offensively.”

Yet some detractors have the same obvious question.

With so many receivers to feed, is there enough to go around for such a talented receiving corps?

“We don’t worry about that,” Horton said. “We’re all worried about winning, so at the end of the day, whoever is out there is giving us the best chance to win.”

Elko already noted that Horton is exactly why they had hoped he’d be.

If he’s exactly who they need him to be, that selflessness should, in theory, pay it forward this fall, in the win column and in individual opportunities.

Should Horton, who is seemingly overlooked by preseason prognosticators, have a career year and emerge as one of the league’s best, he’ll most certainly be rewarded with plenty of Aggie fanfare at the NFL Draft.

Coincidentally, that’s just about seven months away.

NOTES
• Elko began his Thursday availability by providing injury updates as the Aggies conclude fall camp this week. Sophomores Chace Sims and Tiger Riden Jr. will both miss the entire season with unclosed injuries. Sims, a defensive tackle, did not see game action in 2025, while Riden appeared in the final five games and carried the ball 11 times for 45 yards and a touchdown.

• Beyond injuries, Elko also said that offensive lineman Nelson McGuire and wide receiver Jerome Myles are no longer with the program due to “personal reasons.” McGuire appeared in one game as a true freshman last fall, while Myles missed the entire year due to an injury sustained in fall camp.