Former South Carolina football star named top 10 NFL player at position
After coming off the board in the top 10 of the 2021 NFL Draft, South Carolina football alum Jaycee Horn took a while to register his first healthy season. Once he did in 2024, Horn showed himself to be one of the top secondary players in the sport. Recently, ESPN conducted surveys of NFL executives, scouts, and coaches to create a ranking of the top 10 players at each position. The former Gamecock earned a spot among the best cornerbacks in the NFL. According to the worldwide leader’s polling, he ranks No. 7 in the League.
Multiple ESPN voters slotted Horn as high as No. 3 in the NFL. He is currently behind Pat Surtain (Denver Broncos), Derek Stingley (Houston Texans), Denzel Ward (Cleveland Browns), Trent McDuffie (Kansas City Chiefs), Sauce Gardner (New York Jets), and Christian Gonzalez (New England Patriots).
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Coming off a strong 2024 campaign, it is unsurprising that Jaycee Horn featured prominently on the list. The Carolina Panthers star played in 15 games before being shut down with a minor injury (the Panthers had been eliminated from playoff contention, so the move was precautionary), and he registered 68 tackles, two sacks, one interception, and 13 passes defended.
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Horn’s best year as a pro came with a Pro Bowl berth at the end. Even better for the star defender, it came with a huge extension. Horn signed a four-year, $100 million contract. At the time, it was the largest per-season deal in NFL history for a cornerback.
During his South Carolina football career, Horn was one of the most underrated players in the country. He didn’t log many counting stats because opposing teams routinely looked the other way on every snap. Even so, he earned All-SEC honors in 2020.
