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The Seattle Seahawks have their superstar wide receiver in place. But entering Week 9, there was some room for opportunity among the team's pass catchers.
Jaxson Smith-Njigba has grown into a bonafide WR1 for Sam Darnold, no longer in D.K. Metcalf's shadow in Seattle. However, with the veteran Cooper Kupp sidelined for a "Sunday Night Football" matchup against the Washington Commanders in 2025, the Seahawks saw a newer face step up to the plate.
Rookie wide receiver Tory Horton found the end zone twice in Week 9, emerging as a breakout target for Darnold in Kupp's absence.
Here's everything to know about Horton, from his collegiate background to his NFL Draft slot.
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Who is Tory Horton?
Tory Horton is a rookie wide receiver for the Seahawks. The 22-year-old stands at 6-foot-2 and 196 pounds, and he's been both a receiver and punt returner for Seattle in his first NFL season.
Most notably, Horton quickly became a red zone target for the Seahawks in his rookie campaign. He entered Week 9 with three of his nine receptions going for touchdowns, finding the end zone against the Pittsburgh Steelers, New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Hortone also became only player in NFL history with multiple receiving touchdowns and a punt return touchdown within the first 3 weeks of an NFL season, as he took a punt to the end zone against the Saints as well.
The first punt return TD by the @Seahawks in 10 years! pic.twitter.com/JPMxMFO7Xo
— NFL (@NFL) September 21, 2025However, opportunity knocked in Week 9 when Kupp, the former Super Bowl MVP in a late-career stint with Seattle, sat out for "SNF" with an injury. Smith-Njigba remained the alpha on the depth chart, but Horton had an opportunity to earn a larger role.
He capitalized efficiently. As the Seahawks got out to a significant first-half lead, Horton scored two touchdowns on his three catches. The first was a four-yard pass from Darnold that opened the scoring.
— NFL (@NFL) November 3, 2025On a 3rd & 8 in the second quarter, Horton returned to paydirt when Darnold connected with the wide-open rookie on a 25-yard play.
— NFL (@NFL) November 3, 2025MORE: How Bobby Wagner has gone from Seahawks star to the Commanders
Tory Horton high school
Horton attended Washington Union High School, which is in Fresno, California.
According to MaxPreps, Horton totaled 821 receiving yards with 15 touchdowns in his senior season.
Where did Tory Horton go to college?
Horton committed to play college football at the University of Nevada as a three-star recruit, per 247Sports.
The receiver would spend two seasons (2020, 2021) at Nevada before transferring to Colorado State, where he finished out his collegiate career. It was also with the Rams that Horton really emerged as an NFL prospect, totaling 1,131 yards and eight touchdowns in his junior 2022 season.
In 2022 and 2023, Horton was named First-Team All-Mountain West, becoming one of the best Group of Five wide receivers out there. However, his collegiate career ended a bit prematurely in 2024, when he went down with a knee injury after five games.
MORE: Why the Seahawks could be a trade fit for WR Calvin Ridley
Tory Horton college stats
Here's a look at Horton's college numbers.
| Season | Team | Games | Receptions | Rec. Yards | AVG | TDs |
| 2020 | Nevada | 9 | 20 | 336 | 16.8 | 5 |
| 2021 | Nevada | 12 | 52 | 659 | 12.7 | 5 |
| 2022 | Colorado State | 12 | 71 | 1,131 | 15.9 | 8 |
| 2023 | Colorado State | 12 | 96 | 1,136 | 11.8 | 8 |
| 2024 | Colorado State | 5 | 26 | 353 | 13.6 | 1 |
Tory Horton NFL Draft
In the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Seahawks selected Horton with the 166th overall pick.
He joined a wide receiver room with a pair of stars in Smith-Njigba and Kupp, but still managed to become a top red zone threat in his early rookie season with Seattle.
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