PRO 2025 Rookie Spotlight: Tory Horton, WR Colorado State
Rookie Spotlight: Tory Horton, WR Colorado State
Height: 6-3
Weight: 185
Hands:
Arm:
2025 Age: 23 – (11/29/02)
NFL Play-Style Comparison: Jordan Addison, Josh Reynolds, Marvin Jones
Draft Grade: 2nd Round
Projected 40: 4.47
Breakout Age: 20 (Junior)
Offensive Market Share Metrics (Final Season)
Receptions: 18%
Receiving Yards: 24%
Receiving TDs: 19%
High School: Washington Union HS (Fresno, California)
As a high school prospect: Class of 2020; 2-star (5.2)
Honors: Captain, Back-to-Back All-MWC First-Team in 2022 and 2023
College Attended: Nevada(2), Colorado State(3)
Pros
– 31.6% total team market share in 2023, his last full season (Top 15 in class)
– Professional route-running nuances, played 35% of routes in the slot
– Elite (3.45 yards per route run) – 3rd in CFB as a non-qualifier
– Sub 5% drop rate in the last two seasons
– 6+ receptions in 18 of 30 games at Colorado State
– Great sideline awareness with hand-eye-foot coordination
– Brother, Tyler was a Two-time All-MWC cornerback at Boise State
– Strong acceleration and change of direction at the catch point
– Under-the-radar major upside as a punt returner
Cons
– A rather slender lower quarter with a great frame
– Right Knee injury in 2024, missing 7 games and requiring surgery
– Rarely pressed with physicality in College, defenders respected his talent weekly
– Better before the catch than after the catch
Highlight/Film
Scouting Notes:
As a 2-time team captain for the Colorado State Rams, Tory Horton had an opportunity to declare for the NFL Draft after his second consecutive 1,000-yard season in 2023 but decided to return to play with his quarterback (Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi) and teammates, in hopes of winning a Mountain West Championship. Despite Horton’s season-ending injury, the Rams still finished 6-1 in the conference and missed the conference title game by a tie-breaker against UNLV.
Horton is a pro-ready outside wide receiver talent that best fits in an offense as an ideal No. 2 Flanker — think about guys like Jordan Addison for Minnesota or Devonta Smith for Philadelphia. His size (6-3) and length allow him to win in ways that some at the next level struggle with on the outside near the sideline and in contested situations. With just a 5% drop rate over the last two seasons, the offense was almost surely going to run through Horton, who in just 6 games finished with a 3.45 yards per route average, which would have finished 3rd in College Football behind Tre Harris and ahead of Jeremiah Smith. His talents are on the cusps of 1st round, however as a 5th-year coming out of a G5 with a season-ending knee injury, it will bump him into the late 2nd round.
