Quarterback Kai Horton Introduces Himself at UW Spring Football

Thursday was an opportunity for the media to speak with the University of Washington football team's top two quarterbacks, and Tulane transfer Kai Horton took the first questions, which was a switch.

So far, he routinely handles the second set of practice snaps behind sophomore Demond Williams Jr., the Huskies' designated starter and someone who had to wait off to the side for his turn.

The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Horton, a senior originally from Carthage, Texas, seemed calm, cool and collected when surrounded by people quizzing him.

It was almost a precursor that he could step in and handle things should Williams be unable able to play on game day for whatever reason.

Still, it's a strange situation for the new guy, with there no pretenses about his back-up role up front. He might not play much or at all for the UW, which is what happened to him at Tulane last season, when he appeared in just one game.

“I was just told I was going to come here and compete, have a chance to get better, have a chance to play at the next level,” Horton said. “Like I said, I love everything that they do, the offensive system they’ve got in. I know coach [Jedd] Fisch has a lot of connections. At the end of the day, if it’s meant to be, it’ll be."

Earlier on Thursday, the new quarterback received phone calls from friends back in New Orleans letting him know about the big news surrounding his old team.

For that matter, the Tulane football coaches might have been inclined to do the same thing and see if Horton would come back to them.

It seems new Green Wave quarterback TJ Finley, who previously played for Texas State, Auburn and LSU, was arrested for allegedly being in possession of a stolen truck and he was suspended from the team, which was a big oops.

"I don't really know TJ; I never met the guy before," Horton said. "Yeah, my friends all called me and told me about it. It's unfortunate for him."

Meantime, the senior pushes on as a law-abiding citizen and the Huskies' No. 2 guy, as the spare tire in case of emergency.

At Tulane, he appeared in 13 games and started three, including the 2023 Military Bowl against Virginia Tech, a 41-20 loss.

He brings career passing stats of 64 completions in 123 attempts for 833 yards and 6 touchdowns, with 5 interceptions.

In contrast, Williams similarly has appeared in 13 games for the Huskies and started two, including the most recent Sun Bowl against Louisville, a 35-34 defeat.

The incumbent opened his UW career as a freshman by completing 82 of 105 passes for 944 and 8 touchdowns, with one interception, a pick-six in El Paso.

Horton isn't lacking for confidence at all, describing himself as smart and able to comprehend things well as a quarterback. though he had a somewhat interesting take on Michael Pratt, who started ahead of him for three seasons.

"He always knew that I was more talented than him; he'll even tell you that," he said of Pratt, who led the Green Wave to a 2023 Cotton Bowl win over USC and was an NFL draftee. "He taught me the little things. I had a big, strong arm and being very talented and stuff like that, but I had to learn to do the little things."

Kai Horton shows off his passing arm in the UW's second spring practice. | Skylar Lin Visuals

Yet in Montlake, Horton appears destined to pull on a headset, work the sideline and simply watch Williams play next season. He chose the Huskies after visiting Mississippi and North Texas.

At the end of Tuesday's first spring practice, Horton drew some immediate attention to himself by delivering 15- and 25-yard touchdown passes to Penn State transfer Omari Evans, another newcomer who seems determined to make every UW quarterback look good.

Yet Horton will remain in the background for now, learning the finer points of Fisch's pro-style offense along with fellow signal-callers in junior Shea Kuykendall, the former Northern Colorado transfer, plus freshmen Dash Beierly and Kini McMillan.

The UW connection for him came about because Jimmie Dougherty, the Huskies' offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, previously worked with Jon Sumrall, the Tulane coach, at the University of San Diego and they remain close friends.

Tulane quarterback Kai Horton (12) calls signals against Houston in 2023. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Between them, the coaches decided to find an opportunity for a veteran quarterback to fit in somewhere and try to extend his career.

“I came here for a weekend and thought it was beautiful,” Horton said. “I went on some nice dinners and watched the offense with coach Jimmie and coach Fisch. I just liked what they do. It was a fun trip. They made me feel loved here.”

Loved is one thing, though, and used on Saturdays is quite another.

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