Tory Horton, WR, Colorado State
Size:
Height: 6024
Weight: 196
Arm: 30 ⅝”
Hand: 9”
Accomplishments:
First-Team All-Mountain West (2023, 2022) • Biletnikoff Award Watch List (2023) • Paul Hornung Award Watch List (2023) • Maxwell Award Watch List (2023)
“Tory Horton is a twitchy and fluid wideout with the skill set and collegiate production that should translate quickly to the next level.”
Strengths:
Long strides eat up ground
Hands
Experience as the focal point in a passing attack
Rapid acceleration after the catch
Aerial artist
Concerns:
Release package
Mass
Route tree
Film Analysis:
Tory Horton is a twitchy and fluid wideout with the skill set and collegiate production that should translate quickly to the next level. Highly productive wideout inside the Rams offense where his experience in producing at an extremely high clip showcases a wideout that has the nuance, maturity, and fundamental skill set to compete at the game's highest level.
Horton aligns primarily as the ‘X’ for Colorado State both to the field (far sideline) and boundary (near sideline). He also has worked out of the slot. He’s a twitchy and wiry pass-catcher who aligns with his hands to his chest (similar to a boxer) pre-snap to fight the hands of more physical corners. Horton is explosive off the line of scrimmage and quick to identify spot spots in zone or a weakness in opposing man corners. Excellent body control and hands that showcase a high-level catch radius. Horton also isn't afraid to work over the middle of the field despite his lack of muscle mass.
Despite his immense success, Horton’s route tree has room to expand. Seam, wheel, screens, slants, and 7-yard hitch routes were the primary concepts for Horton. He has the nuance, footwork, and speed to threaten defenses at all three levels. Long strides eat up ground whether he’s working vertical, across the field, or back to the quarterback. Horton’s strides also showcase in the open field where his long gate does not sacrifice foot turnover to accelerate. In tight areas, Horton plays even bigger than his 6-foot-1 frame suggests. Not only does he have the athleticism to adjust to passes or reconfigure his body off the ground, but he also has the hand strength to snatch passes out of the air and away from opponents. Horton is a hands-catcher. Extending and securing are a natural occurrence in Horton’s game.
After the catch, Horton is a creative runner with good vision to find open grass. He’s not a player currently that is a dynamic after-the-catch threat, however. Limited arm talent under center has ultimately limited shot plays for Horton, but his projection remains intriguing at the NFL level as a vertical threat due to his speed and body control. He also displays a high level of awareness and football IQ to understand where the sticks are and how to comfortably secure passes before going out of bounds with defenders draped on his back. Good awareness against zone coverage to find soft spots, sit, haul in passes, and work upfield quickly. Horton also projects as a high-level red zone threat not only for his ability to win jump balls but also his short-area quickness and lower-half flexibility that allows him to change direction and win the leverage battle in tight confines.
Areas for improvement remain in his overall mass, where he does have room to get stronger. Ultimately, it will assist most as a perimeter blocker in the run game. His release package can be classified as above average, but it could reach another tier with more refinement. His combination of body movements, head fakes, speed, and quickness set the stage for Horton to dominate at times no matter the opposition’s skill set. His limited route tree has been more due to the offense he’s in and the talent around him. In all, I would like to see the Rams open up the playbook for Horton so his true route-running ability can showcase itself.
Overall, Horton is a nuanced wideout with many of the traits teams look for in contributing pass-catchers at the next level. Considering his frame, skill set, and production, Horton remains one of the country’s most talented wideouts with a chance to hear his name called in the top 100 selections in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Prospect Projection: Day 2 — Adequate Starter
Written By: Ryan Fowler
