Why Indiana football’s new starting tight end Zach Horton is a reliable addition

Bloomington – Indian football tight end Zach Horton did not receive a single Power Five offer as part of the 2021 signing class coming out of Lord Botetourt High School.

Things were different on his second attempt at recruiting.

Tight end James Madison heard about a list of teams that included Ohio State, Maryland, Virginia, NC State and Georgia Tech when he entered the transfer portal in December. He kept an open mind on the portal, but had a hard time getting past one question.

“Why now? I was a little irritated,” Horton said during an interview with The Herald-Times in April. “I felt like I played the same, but having a little experience made a difference. I believe I should have been watched throughout the entire season.” my career.”

The loyalty he felt for Curt Cignetti and the offensive team that recruited him made the decision to join them in the Big Ten an easy one.

“He gave me an opportunity,” Horton said. “It was one of the decisive factors, I wanted to thank you and continue following you.”

Horton signed with Indiana on Christmas Eve alongside Nick Kidwell, Aiden Fisher, James Carpenter, Jailin Walker, Kaelon Black and Tyler Stephens the day after playing for the Dukes in the Armed Forces Bowl.

It was a group that Horton said played a “huge role” in JMU’s success during the transition to the FBS level.

“Just research the type of success they’ve had,” Horton said.

More: 2024 Indiana Football Projected Offensive Depth Chart After Spring Practice

‘If you block, you will get the stone’

After Horton had a career-best three catches for 116 yards and two touchdowns against South Alabama last season, Cignetti told reporters that the tight end was playing as well as any player on the JMU roster.

“Zach Horton has been as consistent, playing at a high level, game after game, game after game, as anyone on this football team,” Cignetti said. “He put together excellent games from games one through five.”

The effusive praise caught Horton off guard.

“He never expressed that to me,” Horton said, laughing. “I was really surprised when he said that. This caught my entire family off guard. This can’t be the right coach.”

Horton’s role in the offense only increased from there. He had a season-ending four-game streak with multiple receptions, the longest streak of his career. He finished the season with 27 receptions for 275 yards and six touchdowns.

According to Pro Football Focus, he averaged 6.7 yards after the catch, forced eight missed tackles and 11 of his receptions were for first downs. He played 906 snaps, including 739 on offense, the most of any JMU skill player.

These consistent goals were the biggest sign to Horton that he had earned the hard-earned trust of the coaching staff.

“There’s a saying that if you block you’ll get the rock, that’s exactly what happened,” Horton said. “I remember my sophomore year, I barely got any touches, but all I did was try really hard and block. showed up and they started rewarding me more, which I was very grateful for.”

The season ended with Horton taking home first-team All-Sun Belt honors.

More: Projected Indiana football defensive depth chart for 2024 after spring practice

‘We are clicking very well’

Horton closed out camp working with the varsity offense during IU’s spring game.

He had four receptions for 27 yards, with three of them coming on an extended drive late in the second quarter that ended with quarterback Kurtis Rourke throwing the go-ahead touchdown to Andison Coby.

The Hoosiers’ offense put up 442 yards of total offense in the exhibition, but the encouraging performance didn’t come as a surprise to Horton.

“With this group we have, right now we’re doing really well, but there’s a lot more room for improvement,” Horton said. “I believe we are getting along very well.”

Horton, who is IU’s most veteran tight end with 32 games played (18 starts), could play a vital role in the offense this fall given his experience and versatility. He moved throughout the offense last year with 26 snaps in the backfield, 519 in-line snaps, 160 snaps in the slot and 34 out.

He could function as an important security blanket for Rourke as he works to establish chemistry with a group of skilled players that includes nine other transfers in the mix.

“Our offense is built to love tight ends as much as running backs and wide receivers,” Rourke said after the fight. “It’s about taking what the defense gives us. In our offense, the tight ends will be open.”

Horton’s strategy is the same as JMU’s.

“I’m just doing what I’m told,” Horton said, smiling broadly. “I’m just worried about winning games.”

Michael Niziolek is the Indiana reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek and read all of its coverage clicking here.

This article originally appeared in The Herald-Times: Why new Indiana football staff trusts tight end Zach Horton