Major Decision Looming For 2022 WR Isaiah Horton
One of Alabama football's wide receiver targets, Isaiah Horton, is set to make his commitment fairly soon between the Crimson Tide, Florida, Miami and Tennessee.
"I should be committed at the end of this month on July 28th," Horton recently told Matt Ray of Sports Illustrated All-American.
Horton, a 6-foot-3 190-pound playmaker from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, took visits to each school during the month of June and recapped each one with Ray:
On Alabama:
"I have been to Bama quite a few times when I was a freshman and sophomore, so this was kind of a refresher coming off of COVID. It was also a good visit. I enjoyed that visit as well. My parents enjoyed that visit. Talking with Coach Saban was amazing. It was like a dream come true because not everybody gets that opportunity to talk to Nick Saban. Just talking to him, he gave me a lot of wisdom, which I appreciated, and it wasn't all about football. He asked me questions about myself, how am I doing, and stuff like that. It wasn't just about, 'oh, you are a good player,' and that is what I really appreciated. We just sat down and had a genuine conversation."
On Florida:
"Florida was a great place to visit. Coach Billy Gonzales was wonderful. He is good people. As soon as I got on campus, they greeted me with a lot of love, and I appreciated that. Coach Dan Mullen, is a great coach as well. His attitude towards me was good, and that made me feel good because it was my first visit coming off of COVID, so I was kind of nervous. As soon as I got on campus, my nerves went away because it was what I expected it to be."
On Miami:
"Miami was a great visit. I loved it. Just as soon as I got off the plane, the atmosphere was great. People outside of Miami were asking me if I was a college player at Miami. It was a lot of love outside the campus. Then, when I got on the campus, it was even better. Coach (Rob) Likens, Coach Dub, Coach Manny Diaz, were all great people and great to meet. I enjoyed the rest of the coaches as well. Coach Cooney was another one as well. My parents also loved Miami a lot too. That was a plus for me too because they enjoyed it. That visit went very well."
On Tennessee:
"Coach Heupel is a great coach, wonderful coach," Horton said. "That first impression was wonderful for me. He is very laid back. Not too much, not too little. He is another coach I had a genuine conversation with. I didn't have to feel nervous around him or anything. I didn't feel like he was sugarcoating anything with me. Also, Coach Kodi Burns and Coach (Kelsey) Pope are great receiver coaches as well. I spent most of my second visit with them in Coach Burns's office going over plays and films. He showed me where I would be on the team at X receiver and how I would be used. We spent at least two hours watching film."
Heading into June, Florida was the team to beat for Horton's services but now the playing field is level amongst all four schools.
"I would say everybody is kind of equal now that I got to visit everybody," Horton said. "[Florida] were the leader at the time before I hadn't visited everybody, but now that I visited each school, everybody is at an equal level now."
What will be the final indicator for Horton when deciding a future home?
"Basically, what school can provide a good afterlife for me because football doesn't last forever," Horton said. "A school that I love the environment and atmosphere of. Also, depending on my major, I am still battling between Business and Sports Management, so my major is big for me. Also, the relationships with the coaches because I am going to be there for the next three to four years, so I want to get along with the receivers coach very well and to make sure my family enjoys it."
