Who is Jaycee Horn? What Panthers fans need to know about their top NFL Draft pick
Former South Carolina cornerback Jaycee Horn was selected eighth overall by the Carolina Panthers in the first round of the NFL Draft Thursday. Here are nine things to know about Horn from his career in Columbia and prior:
He’s the son of former NFL star Joe Horn
Fans in the South will surely remember Jaycee’s father, four-time Pro Bowler Joe Horn. The elder Horn spent 12 seasons in the NFL after being selected in the fifth round of the 1996 NFL Draft.
Joe spent time with the New Orleans Saints, Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Falcons during his standout career. He finished his time in the league with 603 receptions for 8,744 receiving yards and 58 touchdowns and is a member of the Saints Hall of Fame.
He opted out of the 2020 season after Will Muschamp was fired
Horn started 29 games during his South Carolina tenure, including the first seven contests of the 2020 season. However, in the wake of Will Muschamp’s firing, Horn opted out of the rest of the season to prepare for the 2021 NFL Draft.
Horn and secondary mate Israel Mukuamu both ended up cutting their final seasons in Columbia short in order to get ready for the draft process.
The latest Gamecock defender to go in NFL Draft first round
While on the field results haven’t quite been up to snuff in recent years, South Carolina has made a habit of turning players into top-flight NFL prospects. Since 2000, the Gamecocks have had nine players selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. Of those, seven played defense.
Jadeveon Clowney was the highest-drafted Gamecock in recent history after going first overall in 2014. Receiver Troy Williamson was the next-earliest choice at No. 7 in the 2005 draft.
With his selection at No. 8 on Thursday, Horn becomes the highest drafted South Carolina defensive back since Stephon Gilmore went No. 10 in the 2012 draft.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. is high on Horn
ESPN Draft Insider Mel Kiper Jr. has been high on Horn throughout the draft process. After slating him as the No. 18 overall prospect in his big board in March, Kiper Jr. moved Horn up to No. 14 in his final rankings Tuesday night.
Horn was expected to be taken in the first 15 picks of Thursday’s first round and Kiper Jr. projected him as the second-best cornerback in the draft behind Alabama’s Patrick Surtain II.
Pro Football Focus loves Horn
Before opting out of the end of the 2020 season, Horn led the Southeastern Conference through seven weeks with a 79.6 pass coverage grade from Pro Football focus on a 100-point scale.
Horn was also better than just about every cornerback in the Southeastern Conference on pass rushing downs in 2020 despite playing just seven games in 2020. His 91.1 grade was the second best of all corners in the SEC last season and fourth among all Power Five players at the position.
Horn’s 33.3 completion percentage when opposing quarterbacks targeted him ranked second among all league cornerbacks.
Horn wowed NFL scouts at South Carolina’s pro day
Horn wowed onlookers at South Carolina’s pro day last month with a 4.37 40-yard dash according to a university press release. His 11-foot, 1-inch broad jump was bested by only five players who competed at the 2020 NFL Combine.
Horn also measured in at 6-foot and 205 pounds.
Horn wasn’t targeted much in college
Horn finished his career with just two interceptions, but that was more a product of opposing offenses avoiding him entirely. Of South Carolina’s cornerbacks who played at least 20 percent of their team’s coverage snaps, Horn had the third-least targets behind Jammie Robinson and John Dixon according to Pro Football Focus.
Cam Smith had less targets (20) than Horn, but played on only 121 pass plays compared to Horn’s 247.
Horn was an elite recruit from Atlanta area
After playing football sparingly during his freshman and sophomore years at Mooreville High School in Mississippi, Horn burst onto the scene as a junior and senior. A growth spurt that saw him sprout from 5-foot-7 to a little over 6-feet helped his stock. So too did his elite coverage skills.
Horn was rated a four-star recruit and the No. 209 player in the 2018 class according to the 247 Sports Composite coming out of Alpharetta, Georgia. He was initially committed to Tennessee, before flipping to South Carolina after Butch Jones was fired in Knoxville.
Horn was one of eight four-star prospects in the Gamecocks’ 2018 class alongside Rick Sandidge, Josh Vann, Dylan Wonnum, Dakereon Joyner, Kingsley Enagbare, Jovaughn Gwyn and Rosendo Luis.
Horn among most decorated Gamecock DBs in recent memory
After starting 10 games as a freshman, Horn received SEC All-Freshman honors from the conference coaches. The coaches later named the Georgia product a second team All-SEC performer as a junior, while Pro Football Focus named him as a third team All-SEC honoree.
Horn also earned the Rex Enright Defensive Player of the Spring award and SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll in 2019, First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll for the 2018-19 school year and was named South Carolina’s Most Productive Defensive Player in 2018.
This story was originally published April 29, 2021 at 9:18 PM with the headline "Who is Jaycee Horn? What Panthers fans need to know about their top NFL Draft pick."
