After spending the first two years of his college career at South Florida, Jimmy Horn Jr. transferred to Colorado before the 2023 season. Those first two seasons? The wide receiver spent them under the radar. But when he joined the Buffaloes under then-newly hired Deion Sanders, he began to realize his own goals. But did you know that Horne Jr.’s father – currently in prison – helped him decide on Colorado because he knew Coach Prime would take care of his son off the field?
Well, over the past two seasons, that’s exactly what Deion Sanders has done for Jimmy Horn Jr. Aside from helping him progress on the field, he has been a father figure off the field, looking after the 22-year-old on numerous occasions. Whether that’s asking about Jimmy Horn Sr. from time to time or even suggesting the wide receiver take a day off. This is correct. In an interview with Romy Benn, Horn Jr. said so himself.
“One training, when I came back from my father’s stadium, Coach Prime [said]“Let me know if you need a day off.” I say to myself: ‘No, I don’t need a day off… Football is my way of dealing with a lot of the things I’m going through,’ the 22-year-old revealed. Considering how supportive Deion Sanders and his teammates have been, it seems like Jimmy Horn Jr. wanted to make sure the Buffaloes knew how loyal he was to them, too!
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On October 17, the recipient posted an Instagram Story, writing: “There is no money in this world that can make me change my style.” To further bolster this claim, Jimmy Horn Jr. posted a carousel with photos of himself in Colorado colors, on and off the field. His comment — a simple “💯” — indicates he’s ready to return after exiting midway through the Buffaloes’ loss to Kansas State last weekend.
This came after Deion Sanders confirmed in a post-practice interview before the Week 8 game against Arizona that he “will definitely play on Saturday.” In that 31-28 loss to the Wildcats, Horn Jr. was bruised before halftime and returned to the locker room. Entering the game, he had 23 catches for 327 yards, second only to Travis Hunter. Before leaving the field, he recorded 3 catches for 20 yards.
Things are looking positive for Horn Jr.’s return against Arizona because Sanders wasn’t the only one providing an update. WR coach Jason Phillips also had some encouraging words regarding Horn’s overall recovery. “[Jimmy Horn] “He practiced today, so he feels really good,” Phillips said in a post-practice interview. This season, the 22-year-old has been nothing but explosive every time he steps on that turf. Arguably his most memorable play was against NDSU.
It was the Buffs’ season opener. Someone had to break it in a big way, and it was Jimmy Horn Jr. The offensive line gave quarterback Shedor Sanders enough time in the middle of the offense, and he blocked the pass. Horn caught it and turned it into a 62-yard touchdown. No wonder he’s one of the fastest players in Colorado’s offense. With Horn Jr. excited and ready to go on Saturday, he can rest assured that he will have great support on the field. After all, he’s not the only returning receiver.
Coach Prime can achieve that goal against Arizona
Interestingly (but unfortunately for the Buffs), four of their receivers were injured against Kansas State. Another notable name joining Horn Jr. was Travis Hunter. With their two primary receivers out of the game, Deion Sanders & Co. Building on their three-game winning streak. But this weekend, Deion Sanders expressed confidence in Hunter’s return as well.
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Travis Hunter is out for blood. And with his shoulder injury almost recovered, he’s coming for everyone. He made it very clear on Outta Pocket that he was going to stop being humble and show people what he’s really capable of. “I’ve been mediocre for a very long time. No one can do what I do,” he said. Averaging 124 snaps per game this season? Yes, it’s no wonder he’s confident he’s ahead of the pack.
After the plays he was able to pull off against the Rams, Baylor or a top-heavy team like UCF, the 21-year-old has proven he can do anything on grass as long as he has the space.
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Another player who can help Deion bring this one home is his son Shedeur Sanders. Shedeur had little support against Kansas State. Hunter and Horn were both out and the big question was whether Shedor could do anything. He did. After recording over 380 yards and bringing in 3 touchdowns, Shedeur almost helped the Buffs win the game.
If Deion’s D-line had performed the same way it did against the Knights, Joyce Brown’s 50-yard touchdown run wouldn’t have been as successful, and the Buffs could have won with 28 points on the board. However, let sleeping dogs lie. We can’t wait to see what Coach Prime does against Arizona as he gets his best soldiers back on the turf.
