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David Newton
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Jimmy Horn Jr.’s response was priceless.
First there was a childlike stare by the Carolina Panthers‘ rookie large receiver. Then got here a tilt of the pinnacle, adopted by lips parting as if he was about to say one thing snarky when requested if he was able to play protection following a touchdown-saving deal with off a fake-punt completion.
After an outburst of snickers following Saturday night time’s follow at Financial institution of America Stadium, the 5-foot-8, 174-pound Horn deadpanned: “Hey, I am going to play anyplace on the sector.”
Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders, in Charlotte for Wednesday’s joint follow with the Panthers upfront of Friday night time’s preseason opener, is aware of the look and the perspective.
The son of Corridor of Famer Deion Sanders, Shedeur noticed it usually the previous two seasons when he and Horn had been teammates underneath Deion, the pinnacle coach at Colorado.
“Jimmy undoubtedly is missed,” Shedeur Sanders instructed ESPN. “A number of the Colorado gamers are missed. All of them have totally different personalities. And Jimmy, I miss seeing his [smile] once we’re at follow along with his gold grillz.”
Watch Jimmy Horn Jr. converse to the media. https://t.co/cxK9fQtlDi
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) August 3, 2025
Horn’s persona is endearing.
However the Panthers chosen him within the sixth spherical, 64 picks after Sanders went in Spherical 5, due to his velocity and playmaking capability.
The playmaking confirmed up on Horn’s two quick landing catches. His 4.38 velocity within the 40-yard sprint was extra evident on the deal with of Lathan Ranson following a punt he was set to obtain.
That play additionally confirmed Horn’s grit. There was no method he was going to let Ransom attain the top zone.
“Nah. Not on me, man,” Horn mentioned. “I am again there simply vibing. I am again there considering I am about to get me a punt. They only had one thing difficult up their sleeve, and I wasn’t prepared. I simply needed to hold him from scoring.”
That is the perspective Sanders noticed in school.
“He introduced a special mentality coming on the market day by day,” he mentioned.
Confidence and the way in which Horn approaches each exercise has caught the attention of Carolina coach Dave Canales.
“It is the vitality he performs with,” Canales mentioned. “He would not give up on routes, he continues after the conventional a part of the safety he can rely on. He continues to search out house and play quick.”
Actually quick. Presumably quicker than anyone on the Carolina roster.
“He is simply all gasoline,” Canales mentioned.
Horn is just not seeking to play offense and protection like his former Colorado teammate and No. 2 general choose Travis Hunter is doing for the Jacksonville Jaguars. As a substitute, he’s staying centered on his route-running, which he’s working extra time to good.
However the expertise of practising with Hunter and Sanders, and taking part in for the person he and others merely name “Coach Prime,” helped make Horn extra NFL prepared than plenty of rookies.
“I simply love the way in which that he performs soccer,” Canales mentioned. “It is full velocity on a regular basis. Some guys, we now have to actually train them tips on how to get right into a walkthrough mode. He is a kind of guys … all the things he does is quick.”
Hunter agreed, though he and Horn by no means went head-to-head in school.
“He is a ball participant,” mentioned Hunter, who will face Horn within the season-opener at Jacksonville. “He loves the sport, man. He is quick.”
Horn has been quick so long as he can keep in mind, saying he would problem — and beat — each child in his neighborhood rising up in South Florida.
He credit his mother, a highschool observe star, extra for his velocity than his dad, who used extra physicality on the soccer subject.
However Horn credit Sanders greater than anyone for making ready him for the NFL — and life. It was Sanders who turned his father determine after his dad was imprisoned in 2021 on drug-related expenses.
It was Sanders who walked onto the sector with Horn for Senior Day at Colorado and later went with Horn to go to his dad in jail.
“Jimmy is like my child; I really like him that a lot,” Sanders instructed reporters on the time.
Horn has nothing however respect for the senior Sanders although his persona is just not almost as flamboyant.
“[Sanders] helped me get by it,” he mentioned of what occurred to his father. “Not saying I wanted someone to push me. I felt I used to be self-driven, motivated. However generally you want that particular person in your nook to at all times choose up the place you slack off.”
Horn’s self-motivation would not go unnoticed by teammates.
“That is actually what stands proud for me,” veteran large receiver Adam Thielen mentioned. “Clearly, everyone is aware of what he can do athletically with the ball in his fingers.
“However I simply love that his mindset’s there from day one. Often, once you take a look at guys that play a very long time on this league, it is guys that wish to be nice, that wish to do the little issues, that wish to ask questions, that aren’t like too good or too cool to sort of be taught.”
Horn’s sport is loads like that of Carolina’s all-time main receiver, 5-foot-9 Steve Smith Sr., a third-round choose in 2001. The distinction is it took Smith a yr to get taken critically as a receiver as a result of then-coach George Seifert noticed him principally as a return specialist.
Horn seems able to make an impression as a receiver and returner instantly regardless of Carolina’s improved depth at receiver.
“He was a robust, quick receiver,” Horn mentioned when evaluating his sport to Smith’s. “He was actually explosive each time he touched the ball. He was like attempting to place someone within the grime along with his fingers. That is simply the way you play — relentless, fearless. I sort of really feel like that, too.”
Horn confirmed that Smith-like tenacity chasing down Ransom on the pretend punt.
That is why he did not hesitate to say he appreciated the touchdown-saving deal with greater than the 2 landing catches, as a result of the play showcased all he is about.
That additionally could clarify the look, which instructed he would not hesitate to do something requested of him.
“As soon as I actually discovered the sport of soccer and began taking part in, it was like, ‘In the event you’re gonna step on the sector, why not come out right here to play?”’ Horn mentioned. “That is what we’re right here for.”
ESPN reporters Michael DiRocco and Daniel Oyefusi contributed to this story.
