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Maurion Horn bringing physical nature to Texas Tech football secondary in expanded role
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- Maurion Horn bringing physical nature to Texas Tech football secondary in expanded role
Coming out of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, Maurion Horn had no shortage of collegiate options. Power programs such as Texas , Oregon and USC were after the two-way athlete's services, and that's before considering in-state schools Oklahoma and Oklahoma State , which were each hot on his trail.
Ranked among the top 300 recruits for the 2022 class by ESPN, Horn had his pick of the litter, and the choice went to the Texas Tech football team . That selection was a bit easier than some might have thought, even with the Sooners and Cowboys gunning for him.
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"I got a lot of attention from both schools," Horn said Friday of OU and OSU, "but Joey McGuire being my first offer, I just felt like that was one guy that always stayed connected with me throughout my time in high school. Whenever I met him in person I was like, 'Yeah, this is who I want to be my head coach.'"
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About two years after making that decision, the redshirt sophomore is still waiting his turn. Playing behind veteran cornerbacks like Malik Dunlap, Rashad Williams and Bralyn Lux, Horn has spent his time with the Red Raiders learning, and being patient for his opportunity. That time has now come thanks to the departures of Dunlap and Williams, and because of Horn's individual growth.
"I think him being able to sit back and have a bigger role has helped him," secondary coach Marcel Yates said. "Mo's mentality is he's a physical corner. Mo's not afraid to hit people. I just think that's what we want from our corners and what offenses are trying to do, because every offense wants to make those guys hit people, so Mo kind of brings that physicalness on the edge that we need."
Texas Tech cornerback Maurion Horn speaks to the media, Friday, August 16, 2024, in the Sports Performance Center.
Horn is currently projected to be Tech's No. 2 cornerback opposite of Lux. Both players are listed at 5-foot-11 and between 180 to 185 pounds. Compared to Dunlap (6-3, 220) and Williams (6-3, 215), this year's cornerbacks are giving up some size to opponents, so they have to counter that with physicality.
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"I've always been physical," Horn said. "I'm not the biggest guy but I know I have heart and when I go out there, I know I'm gonna make sure somebody feels me for sure."
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McGuire was quick to point to Horn as a standout from last week's scrimmage. Horn, meanwhile, credits one of the guys he sat behind — Dunlap — for how he was able to learn while seeing limited action on defense last season.
"As soon as I came in he honestly took me under his wing," Horn said of Dunlap. "Meetings, stuff like that, getting extra work in, that's who I was with and that's who made me. There were some days I didn't want to go out and do extra work but Malik would make me come out there and do that.
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"I truly appreciate him for that."
Despite being a highly-touted recruit, Horn said not getting much time on the field the past two years was part of the plan. Now is his chance to use the knowledge he's gained for his own benefit.
"I always knew I was going to have to work for my position," Horn said. "I knew what I was getting into when I chose this school. When I first got here, I just decided to take all the game in from those older guys, so now I've got the opportunity to put it all on tape."
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech football's Horn brings physicality to cornerback position
