Tory Horton, WR Colorado State: 2024 NFL Draft Profile
Horton was a three-star athlete recruit from Washington Union High School in Fresno, Calif. in the class of 2020
Wide receiver Tory Horton emerged as a superstar during his first season at Colorado State. The air raid receiver hasn't faced much NFL talent, but he put on a good show in Week 1 against Michigan in 2022. Horton currently projects as a fourth round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
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Classification: Senior wide receiver from Fresno, Calif.
Background: Horton was a three-star athlete recruit from Washington Union High School in Fresno, Calif. in the class of 2020. He was the No. 2,631 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 2,292 for On3.com. Horton was an unranked two-star recruit for Rivals and didn’t receive a rating or grade out of 100 from ESPN. He transferred from Nevada to Colorado State ahead of the 2022 season, following head coach Jay Norvell. Horton played football, basketball, and baseball in high school. As a high school senior, he led his team to a league championship and won league MVP. Horton’s sister, Jenne, played volleyball overseas while his brother, Tyler, earned two First Team All-Mountain West selections as a cornerback at Boise State.
Injuries & Off-Field: N/A
Awards: 2022 First Team All-Mountain West (WR), 2022 Honorable Mention All-Mountain West (PR)
Pros: Gained experience as a punt returner in 2022, experience working in the slot and out wide, tall with what appear to be long arms, sells defensive backs on double moves, uses stutter steps to freeze defensive backs, long strides to cover ground quickly, built up speed to stack corners, overtakes corners working in off-man coverage, quickly stacks defenders playing press coverage, consistently generated vertical separation on outside releases versus press coverage, ball tracking, works back to the football, makes good adjustments to the ball when it’s in the air, some examples of Mossing defenders at the catch point, steps out of arm tackles aimed at his lower body, vision reveals cutback opportunities, uses his blocks well in the open field, large frame helps him lock out and seal defensive backs on runs and screens
Cons: Lean build, high cut, not twitchy, lacks high-end agility, needs a runway to hit top speed, lacks elite deep speed, eight drops in 2022, too many body catches, doesn’t consistently high point and rise to meet the ball, doesn’t maximize height and length in contested catch situations, limited route tree, doesn’t execute sudden and sharp cuts on short to intermediate routes, needs to sink hips more at the top of his stem, release package lacks creativity and variety, limited YAC threat, focus as a run blocker comes and goes
Overview: Horton primarily aligns out wide but has some experience taking snaps in the slot. The former three-star recruit followed head coach Jay Norvell from Nevada to Colorado State in 2022. Both programs employed air raid offenses under Norvell, giving Horton plenty of opportunities to stretch defenses vertically. The star receiver also picked up experience as a punt returner in 2022. Horton is tall with what appear to be long arms. He has a lean, high cut build. As a route runner, the California native frequently sells defensive backs on double moves and uses stutter steps and tempo to freeze defenders. His long strides cover ground quickly, allowing him to build up enough speed to stack corners. Horton overtakes corners working in off-man coverage and quickly stacks defenders playing press coverage. He showcases excellent ball tracking and makes impressive adjustments to compensate for underthrown and inaccurate passes. Horton sometimes uses his tall frame and long arms to Moss defenders, but he still needs to be more aggressive at the catch point. There are plenty of body catches on Horton’s tape. The All-Mountain West receiver doesn’t maximize his height and length in contested catch situations. This could prove problematic at the NFL level because Horton’s speed, while impressive, is far from elite. He will face more contested catch opportunities in the pros than in college. Horton’s ball skills need to improve, and he must eliminate some of the drops that plagued him in 2022. The senior isn’t twitchy and lacks high-end agility. However, he still generates yards after the catch by stepping out of arm tackles and using his vision and blockers to maximize plays. Horton is inconsistent blocking for run plays and screens, but he has the size and length to lock out and seal defensive backs. He needs a runway to build up his speed and stack defenders, which makes him less intimidating than receivers with immediate explosiveness off the line. Horton runs a limited route tree that doesn’t expose him to many detailed intermediate routes. He doesn’t execute sudden and sharp cuts on short to intermediate routes and needs to sink his hips more at the top of his stem. Horton’s release package lacks creativity and variety, which will prove problematic against respectable press corners. He makes the most of plays after the catch but isn’t a high-end YAC threat because of his limited agility and speed.
Overall, Horton’s ability to stretch the field at his size is enticing, but he’ll need to diversify his route tree and release package to be a starter at the next level. Luckily, there’s still a lot of meat left on the bone for the senior when it comes to development.
Role & Scheme Fit: X receiver in an 11 personnel heavy scheme
Round Projection: Fourth Round
Size: 6'2", 180 lbs. (Unofficial)
Submitted: 05-20-23