Bull In The Spotlight: Jimmy Horn Jr.
Working 9 to 5? For the up-and-coming USF offense, it could be an excellent way to make a living.
As the Bulls prepare for Saturday afternoon's game against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane at Raymond James Stadium, their passing game has received a jolt from the freshman-to-freshman connection — Timmy McClain (No. 9) to Jimmy Horn Jr. (No. 5).
"I like it … 9 to 5 … it's cool,'' Horn said. "I hope we can keep it going.''
Horn, who had been used on kickoff returns and as a reserve receiver early in the season, saw his role expand at SMU. Horn had five receptions for a career-high 102 yards, including 55 yards after the catch, when he displayed his trademark speed and made the Mustang defenders miss.
"Jimmy can go,'' McClain said. "I've seen that for a while now. I'm not surprised.''
McClain and Horn were teammates last season on Sanford Seminole High School's unbeaten Class 8A state-championship team. McClain had long been committed to the Bulls, but Horn was uncertain heading into Signing Day, considering USF, Oklahoma, Georgia and Jackson State (with Coach Deion Sanders), among others.
"I might have helped Jimmy's decision a little bit,'' McClain said with a smile.
Horn was flattered by all the attention, but McClain helped to clarify things.
"Coach (Jeff) Scott had a plan and a vision,'' Horn said. "We could help put this USF program back on the map, right down the road from our family and friends. And I had my guy (McClain) throwing me the ball. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense.''
Horn, 5-foot-9, 170 pounds, turned heads constantly during fall camp with his startling speed and playmaking ability. But early in the regular season, his playing time was limited as he learned the offense and refined his route running.
"Where I grew up, nothing's going to be handed to you,'' Horn said. "You have to earn it. I was struggling with the playbook, but now I've got it down. I had to earn the coach's trust, work hard, learn the plays and catch the ball in practice.
"I'm not one of those guys who's going to be all selfish and mad because they're not putting me in the game. I'm just starting out here. It's about being patient and waiting for your time. I've always been confident that, when they put me in, I was going to do some things.''
As it turned out, Horn was destined for some big things.
"During the whole plane ride to SMU and on the bus, Coach B (Bobby Bentley, passing game coordinator/receivers coach) kept saying, 'My wife told me to go with my gut feeling, I think you're going to have a very good day,' '' Horn said. "Shout out to Coach B and his wife. They were right!''
Scott said there's a good chance that Horn, after a big arrival, is here to stay.
"I expect Jimmy to be a big part of our success these next seven weeks,'' Scott said. "He has worked himself into a position where he can go out and execute the offense. He has worked extremely hard to become an every-down player and know the system inside and out.''
Horn knows McClain's tendencies inside and out, too.
They met as sixth-graders. McClain played for the powerful Apopka Raptors youth team, which hadn't surrendered a touchdown all season. But Horn, with the Volusia Titans, scored on a kickoff return. That got McClain's attention.
They reunited in high school, putting together a senior season that will last for all time. In Sanford, they were known as Touchdown Timmy and Dancin' Jimmy.
"I've coached wideouts my whole life,'' Scott said. "The overall chemistry between quarterbacks and receivers is very important. When a quarterback has that trust, when the receiver is exactly where he needs to be and the quarterback can put the ball on a spot before the receiver comes out of his break, that kind of comfort level makes a difference.
"We're looking at two things. What can we do right now to win the game this week? And how can we develop our young players who are going to be able to help us for years to come? That's what we're seeing with Timmy and Jimmy. It's definitely something that excites me about the rest of this year and our future offensively.''
It's 9 to 5.
Horn said his number was picked carefully. It signifies five special people he has lost — his auntie, his grandmother, two cousins and a teammate at Seminole High who was killed in a 2020 car crash.
"I wear that number with pride,'' Horn said.
Now that Horn is getting his number called more often, there's no telling what's ahead for the Bulls during the stretch run.
"Q (McClain) is a great one and I already knew that,'' Horn said. "I think we've got a great future ahead of us, both of us, and the whole team. It's just the start, but it's something to build on.''
It's 9 to 5. For the Bulls, it could become a tantalizing way to make a living.
