Why Indiana football's new starting tight end Zach Horton is a trusted addition

BLOOMINGTON — Indiana football tight end Zach Horton didn’t receive a single Power Five offer as part of the 2021 signing class coming out of Lord Botetourt High School.

Things were different his second go-around on the recruiting trail.

The James Madison tight end heard from a list of teams that included Ohio State, Maryland, Virginia, NC State and Georgia Tech when he entered the transfer portal in December. He kept an open mind in the portal, but he had a hard time getting past one question.

More: Projected 2024 Indiana football offensive depth chart after spring practice

“Why now? I had a little chip on my shoulder,” Horton said, during an interview with The Herald-Times in April. “I felt like I played the same, but having that little bit of experience made the difference. I believe I should have been getting looked at my whole career.”

The loyalty he felt toward Curt Cignetti and the offensive staff that recruited him made the decision to join them in the Big Ten an easy one.

“He gave me an opportunity,” Horton said. “It was one of the deciding factors, I wanted to thank him and keep following him.”

Horton signed with Indiana on Christmas Eve alongside Nick Kidwell, Aiden Fisher, James Carpenter, Jailin Walker, Kaelon Black and Tyler Stephens the day after playing for the Dukes in the Armed Forces Bowl.

It was a group Horton said played a “huge role” in JMU’s success as they transitioned to the FBS level.

“Just look up the kind of success they had,” Horton said.

‘If you block, you’ll get the rock’

After Horton had a career-best performance with three catches for 116 yards and two touchdowns against South Alabama last season, Cignetti told reporters the tight end was playing as well as anyone on JMU’s roster.

“Zach Horton has been as consistent, playing at a high level, play in play out, game in game out, as anybody on this football team,” Cignetti said. “He has put together outstanding games, games one through five.”

The effusive praise caught Horton off guard.

“He never expressed it to me,” Horton said, with a laugh. “I was actually surprised when he said that. It caught my whole family off guard. This can't be the right coach.”

Horton’s role in the offense only increased from there. He had a four-game stretch late in the season with multiple receptions, the longest such streak of his career. He finished the season with 27 catches for 275 yards and  six touchdowns.

According to Pro Football Focus, he averaged 6.7 yards after the catch, forced eight missed tackles and 11 of his receptions went for first downs. He played 906 snaps including 739 on offense, the most of any of JMU’s skill players.

More: Projected 2024 Indiana football defensive depth chart after spring practice

Those consistent targets were the biggest sign for Horton that he earned the coaching staff’s hard-earned trust.

"There's a saying if you block, you'll get the rock, that's exactly what happened,” Horton said. “I remember my sophomore year, I barely got any touches, but all I did was give high effort and block. Junior year came around and they started rewarding me more, which I was very appreciative of. "

The season ended with Horton taking home first-team All-Sun Belt honors.

‘We are clicking pretty good’

Horton closed out camp working with the first-team offense during IU’s spring game.

He had four catches for 27 yards with three of those catches coming on an extended drive late in the second quarter that ended with quarterback Kurtis Rourke throwing the go-ahead touchdown to Andison Coby.

The Hoosiers offense put up 442 yards of total offense in the exhibition, but the encouraging performance wasn’t a surprise to Horton.

“With this group we have, right now we are doing pretty good, but there's a lot more room for improvement,” Horton said. “I believe we are clicking pretty good."

Horton, who is IU’s veteran-most tight end with 32 appearances (18 starts), could play a vital role in the offense this fall given his experience and versatility. He moved all around the offense last year with 26 snaps in the backfield, 519 inline snaps, 160 snaps in the slot and 34 out wide.

He could function as an important security blanket for Rourke as he works to establish chemistry with a group of skill players that includes nine other transfers in the mix.

“Our offense is built to love tight ends as much as running backs and wide receivers,” Rourke said, after the scrimmage. “It’s about taking what the defense gives us. In our offense, the tight ends will be open.”

Horton’s strategy is the same as it was at JMU.

“I’m just doing what I’m told,” Horton said, with a wide smile. “I’m just worried about winning games.”

Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Why Indiana football's new staff trusts tight end Zach Horton