An ‘elite player’ with NFL buzz, Jaycee Horn’s big day sends message to SEC QBs
Jaycee Horn heard the whispers.
His coaches, teammates, opponents and NFL Draft evaluators all call him one of the top cornerbacks in the college game. Yet detractors are quick to point to the junior’s zero career interceptions and sometimes claim he lacks “ball skills.” And that’s frustrating, Horn says, because most quarterbacks don’t even dare to throw the ball his way.
All week long, Horn had a feeling — a hunch — that his wait would end, that the ball would come.
And he was right. It did. On Saturday afternoon, Horn showed the world exactly why quarterbacks shouldn’t target him. On Sunday he was named National Defensive Player of the Week by the Walter Camp Football Foundation.
The 6-foot-1, 215-pound corner practically willed South Carolina to an upset victory, tormenting Auburn quarterback Bo Nix and stymieing top receiver Seth Williams all game long. For the first time since 1933, South Carolina defeated Auburn in a football game. And for the first time in his college career, Horn recorded an interception. And then another one. Both critical. Both game-changing.
“If there’s a better corner out there, I want to see him,” head coach Will Muschamp said after the Gamecocks’ 30-22 upset victory over the No. 15 Tigers.
“The guy’s elite. He’s an elite player. He is playing at an extremely high level. For whatever reason, today was his first two picks. And I have a hard time sometimes explaining that.”
Horn, clearly, is tired of explaining it himself. Even last week, after USC won its first game of the season in a 41-7 blowout at Vanderbilt, Horn heard chatter after the game about how he dropped a possible interception.
More motivated than ever, Horn salivated over this week’s matchup — from the very second defensive coordinator Travaris Robinson told him he’d be shadowing Williams.
“I knew Bo Nix wanted to get the ball to (Williams),” Horn said. “If I was a quarterback I would, too. He’s a great player.
“... I’m glad T-Rob gave me a chance. He basically just told me, ‘Go out there and lock him up.’ And I was able to do that.”
Typically, Horn might only see one or two targets a game. But on Saturday, he saw eight, according to Pro Football Focus data. Horn allowed only two completions and broke up four passes, with one tipped ball directly leading to an interception by teammate Jaylin Dickerson.
Horn’s work against Williams was especially crucial, considering the banged-up USC secondary was without key defensive backs Israel Mukuamu and Cam Smith.
As Nix’s favorite receiver, Williams boasts an imposing 6-foot-3, 211-pound frame and is a jump-ball specialist who bullies smaller cornerbacks. He torched Kentucky for 112 yards and two touchdowns on six catches in Week 1. But other than a sensational leaping grab on a 50-50 ball for 44 yards, Williams couldn’t shake Horn, and Nix couldn’t resist throwing his way.
Horn’s first interception came at the very beginning of the second quarter, with the Gamecocks down 9-0 and the Tigers on their own 24-yard line, setting up a short field for quarterback Collin Hill and the Gamecocks. A Kevin Harris touchdown on that drive would ignite a dormant offense.
Horn struck again in the third quarter, with the Gamecocks protecting a slim 20-19 lead. Nix tried to connect with Williams on a curl route near his own 40-yard line but threw to Horn instead, and the cornerback nearly ran the ball all the way to the end zone. One play later, Harris walked in to score and expand USC’s lead.
In a game where Hill only managed 144 passing yards, those turnovers provided a massive spark.
“That’s a bad man,” Hill said of Horn. “I mean, I hate going against him (in practice). You always got to know where that guy is. He had two huge interceptions for us, both leading to touchdowns. And I think he did a great job all day.”
Horn’s never doubted his ability. The very idea that someone might think he has no ball skills “is crazy to me,” Horn said. But he admits there’s been some frustration that he’s had to “learn to live with,” as he’s played game after game without quarterbacks targeting him.
The ball finally came his way Saturday. And Horn made sure to hold on to it. He might never let go. He showed up to USC’s post-game news conference with a ball still in his hands.
“Man, I’m gonna walk around with that football all day,” Horn said, smiling. “I might give it to my family after the day’s over with. “
This story was originally published October 17, 2020 at 7:55 PM.
