Kai Horton wanted an opportunity to compete at the highest level, and he found it at Washington. After evaluating his options in the transfer portal, the former Tulane quarterback committed to play for Jedd Fisch. Through two practices in purple and gold, Horton has already begun using his four years of college football experience to benefit the quarterback room. He’s assisting the younger players and playing the role of a veteran, all while delivering some quality throws.
Kai Horton Embraces Opportunity at Washington
The Journey to Montlake
“I knew,” Horton recalled when asked about his decision to enter the transfer portal. “Honestly the whole season. Just some things behind the scenes went down in camp.” Horton finished the 2024 regular season with the Green Wave before officially entering. “It wasn’t any bad blood or anything like that. It was a mutual thing,” he continued.
A connection to the Tulane staff is what began Washington’s interest in the senior quarterback. “The head coach at Tulane is a good friend of mine,” offensive coordinator Jimmie Dougherty explained. Green Wave head coach Jon Sumrall put in a good word for Horton when discussing the potential transfer portal target with the Husky staff. “He really let me know what kind of kid he is, how he operates, and what makes him tick,” Dougherty added. “Great kid, fantastic kid. He’s smart, a hard worker, all the things that we look for off the field.”
Fisch would later call Horton, persuading him to visit the Huskies during the offseason. “I wasn’t for sure going to come on a visit,” Horton said. “But he talked me into it…I watched the offense with Coach Jimmie and Coach Fisch, and I just like what they do.” Washington was the last of three visits that Horton took this Winter, after stopping at Ole Miss and North Texas. He committed to Washington on January 28th. “Coach Sumrall, my old head coach, actually called me and told me congratulations,” Horton said, reiterating the good relationship he had with his previous staff.
Kai Horton on the Washington Offense
“It’s a lot different, night and day,” Horton said of the Washington offense compared to that of Tulane. “At Tulane, we were more of a downhill team…We did a lot of play-action stuff, one-two reads, get the ball out.” The Green Wave had an impactful running back a year ago and Horton said their offense was based around him.
“Here, it’s a lot different.” Horton continued. “Coach Fisch throws a lot at you. He wants you to be able to read the defense fully, full field reads, progression reads, and one-high two-high reads.” The new Husky said part of his draw to Washington was Fisch’s ability to coach quarterbacks.
But the prospect of stepping in behind Demond Williams Jr., the “clear-cut starter,” according to Dougherty, has not discouraged Horton in his pursuit of playing quarterback. “I was just told I was going to come here and compete,” Horton said. “I love everything that they do, the offensive system they got in.” Similar to Will Rogers’ comments from a year ago, Horton said he felt like Washington was the best place to prepare him for the opportunity to play at the next level. “I know Coach Fisch has a lot of connections. And at the end of the day if it’s meant to be it will be. I just want to play at the next level so I feel like [Washington] was the best option.
Operating in the Offense
Through just two practices Horton has shown an ability to be accurate with the football. To finish out the team’s first practice of the Spring, Horton delivered two consecutive touchdown passes to wide receiver Omari Evans. They came in the team’s two-minute drill which routinely ends practice. He placed the football high above the defender, giving Evans the best opportunity to pull down a contested catch. Both passes were well-placed, and both resulted in touchdowns. Evans was swarmed by his teammates after the catches, but Horton’s delivery on both throws was top-tier.
“I think I’ve been doing very well,” Horton said after Thursday’s practice. His football studies included communications over FaceTime and Zoom prior to his arrival in Seattle. “Then coming here, they’ve all done a great job of just helping me understand what they’re trying to do as an offense. They explain it very very well.”
Role of a Veteran
Horton is the oldest quarterback in the room for the Huskies as a fifth-year senior. He has four starts and 126 attempts over his four-year career. Even though he’s battling for a number two spot behind Williams, Horton explained how he’s already using his experience to help the freshmen and even Williams.
“I’m able to teach them,” Horton said. “I’m very smart, and I understand a lot of things very well.” Horton’s experience includes starts against Power programs like Ole Miss and Virginia Tech. “[Having seen] a lot of things in the games that I have played in, they were against pretty good teams. With that experience, with those games, [I] just help these guys out.”
The 6′-4″ senior quarterback is confident in his abilities and learned a lot about how he handles himself from former Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt. “I sat behind him for three years and learned a lot of things,” Horton said. “I needed to learn how to do the little things like going to class, going to tutoring. And all that stuff matters.” The Husky quarterback continued, “If you can’t do those little things right, how are the coaches going to trust you to get on the field?” His perspective on all aspects of being a quarterback at a Power program is strong. Horton’s presence in a Washington quarterback room with young players is molding them into a great fit.
Main Photo: Nick Lemkau Last Word on College Football 2025
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