After spending the first two years of his college career in South Florida, Jimmy Horn Jr. transferred to Colorado before the 2023 season. Those first two season? The wide receiver spent them under the radar. But when he joined the Buffaloes under then-newly appointed Deion Sanders, he started coming to his own. But did you know Horn Jr.’s father – who is currently incarcerated – helped him decide on Colorado because he knew Coach Prime would take care of his son off the field?

Well, over the past couple of seasons, that’s precisely what Deion Sanders has done for Jimmy Horn Jr. Apart from helping him progress on the field, he’s been like a father figure off it, looking out for the 22-year-old at all times. Be it asking about Jimmy Horn Sr. from time to time or even suggesting the wide receiver take a day off. It’s true. In an interview with Romi Bean, Horn Jr. said so himself.

“One practice, when I came back from my dad’s court, Coach Prime [said], ‘Let me know if you need a day off.’ I’m like, ‘No, I don’t need a day off… football is my way to cope with a lot of things that I’m going through,’” the 22-year-old revealed. Seeing how supportive Deion Sanders and his teammates have been, it looks like Jimmy Horn Jr. wanted to ensure the Buffaloes knew just how loyal he is to them, too!

On October 17, the wide receiver posted a story on Instagram, writing, “No money in this world can make me switch up on my dawgs.” To solidify that claim further, Jimmy Horn Jr. even posted a carousel with pictures of him in Colorado colors, both on and off the field. His caption – a simple “💯” – suggested he’s ready to return after walking out midway through the Buffaloes’ loss to Kansas State last weekend.

This came after Deion Sanders confirmed in a post-practice interview before their Week 8 game against Arizona that he would “play for certain on Saturday.” In that 31-28 loss to the Wildcats, Horn Jr. took a bruising hit before halftime and went back to the locker room. Coming into the game, he had 23 catches for 327 yards, only second to Travis Hunter. And before leaving the field, he’d registered 3 catches for 20 yards.

Things are looking positive for Horn Jr.’s return against Arizona because Sanders wasn’t the only one who gave an update. WR Coach Jason Phillips also had some encouraging words regarding Horn’s overall recovery. “[Jimmy Horn] practiced today, so he feels really good,” Phillips said in a post-practice interview. This season, the 22-year-old has been nothing but explosive every time he has stepped on that turf. Arguably, his most memorable play was during the NDSU showdown.

It was the Buffs’ season opener. Someone had to crack it big, and it was Jimmy Horn Jr. The offensive line gave quarterback Shedeur Sanders enough time amidst the blitz, and he locked in the pass. Horn caught it and converted it into a 62-yard touchdown. No wonder he’s one of the fastest guys on Colorado’s offense. With Horn Jr. all pumped up and ready to go this Saturday, he can rest assured that he’ll have ample support on the field. After all, he’s not the only returning receiver.

Coach Prime can bring this one home against Arizona

Interestingly (but unfortunately for the Buffs), four of their receivers got injured against Kansas State. The other prominent name joining Horn Jr. was Travis Hunter. And with the two primary wide receivers out of the game, Deion Sanders & Co. couldn’t build on their three-game winning streak. But this weekend, Deion Sanders is positive that Hunter will return, too.

Travis Hunter is out for blood. With him almost recovered from his shoulder injury, he is coming for everyone. He made it quite clear on the Outta Pocket podcast that he is going to quit being humble and show people what he is actually capable of. “I’ve been humble for too long. Nobody can do what I do,” he said. Averaging 124 snaps per game this season? Yeah, it’s no wonder he’s confident that he’s clear of the rest of the field.

After the plays he has managed to pull against the Rams, Baylor, or a run-heavy team like UCF, the 21-year-old has proven he can literally do anything on the turf as long as he has the room.

BUT

Another player who can help Deion bring this one home is his son, Shedeur Sanders. Shedeur had very little support against Kansas State. Both Hunter and Horn were out and the big question was if Shedeur could even do anything. He did. Registering over 380 yards and bringing in 3 touchdowns, Shedeur almost helped the Buffs win the game.

If Deion’s D-line had performed the same way they had against the Knights, then Joyce Brown’s 50-yard touchdown wouldn’t have been a success, and the Buffs would’ve won with 28 points on the board. However, let sleeping dogs lie. We cannot wait to see what Coach Prime does against Arizona because he is getting his best soldiers back on the turf.