WR Horton looking to use his speed to become a complete option
EJ Horton believes he can be more.
The senior appeared in 11 games last season after transferring over from Marshall and turned that into 10 catches for 201 yards and a score.
Modest numbers, but not all that bad when you consider that the Louisville native saw only 165 snaps across the entire season, or what boils down to a little under 15 per game. And if you take into account that almost half of his snaps were run-blocking, the totals seem a little more encouraging overall.
It was the best season of his career statistically but he's only scratching the surface.
There were injuries and the adjustment to his new surroundings to deal with but now in his second season, he is working toward a goal and one that is easily obtainable at that. Consistency.
“That’s his word for this whole year is consistent,” wide receivers coach Bilal Marshall said.
Horton has done that this spring by of course showcasing his trademark blazing speed on the outside which he put on display for the media when in an open practice session where he housed a deep ball but becoming more well-rounded at the position. That started with a conversation with Marshall in the off-season and has spilled over into his preparation and work on the field.
“Do you want to be a one-trick pony and just run down the field? The answer is no, you want to be a complete receiver and it’s a consistent approach to everything he does to get there,” he said.
West Virginia recruited Horton for his speed, that trait was already known. But this spring Horton has displayed the ability to run good routes and even make contested catches down the field.
That is something that he hasn’t shown much in the past hauling in only 4 of his 13 opportunities in contested situations, but has taken a major step forward this spring.
And the Mountaineers are hoping that this spring is just a glimpse of what’s to come because the skill set is there as long as there is the consistency to match it.
“He can be as good as he wants to be. He can play on Sunday because he can run. Nobody can run like him on this team so can he put it together,” Marshall said.
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