 Horn with theSouth Carolina Gamecocks in 2019 | |||||||||||
| No. 8 – Carolina Panthers | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Cornerback | ||||||||||
| Roster status | Active | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born | (1999-11-26)November 26, 1999 (age 26) Alpharetta, Georgia, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||
| Listed weight | 200 lb (91 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school | Alpharetta | ||||||||||
| College | South Carolina (2018–2020) | ||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2021: 1st round, 8th overall pick | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics as of 2025 | |||||||||||
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Jaycee Carrington Horn (born November 26, 1999) is an American professionalfootballcornerback for theCarolina Panthers of theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theSouth Carolina Gamecocks and was selected eighth overall by the Panthers in the2021 NFL draft. His father,Joe Horn, played wide receiver in the NFL.
Horn attendedAlpharetta High School inAlpharetta, Georgia. As a senior, he had 44 tackles and five interceptions. He played in the 2018U.S. Army All-American Bowl.[1] He signed to playcollege football at theUniversity of South Carolina.[2][3]
As a true freshman at South Carolina in 2018, Horn started 10 of 11 games and had 45 tackles with two sacks and was named freshman All-Southeastern Conference.[4][5] As a sophomore in 2019, he started all 12 games, recording 40 tackles and one sack.[6] Horn returned to South Carolina as a starter in 2020.
On November 16, 2020, following the dismissal of former head coachWill Muschamp, Horn opted out of the remainder of the season, turning his focus to preparation for the2021 NFL draft.[7]
Pro Football Focus ranked Horn as the second best cornerback in the draft (18th overall) on their big board.[8] Dane Brugler ofThe Athletic ranked him as the third best cornerback prospect in the draft.[9] Lorenz Leinweber ofSports Illustratedand NFL analystsBucky Brooks andDaniel Jeremiah had him ranked as the second best cornerback in the 2021 NFL draft.[10]Mel Kiper Jr. ofESPN ranked him third (18th overall) of his position group.[11]
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 2021 Draft Prospects: Jaycee Horn |
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | Wingspan | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft0+3⁄4 in (1.85 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | 33 in (0.84 m) | 9+1⁄8 in (0.23 m) | 6 ft5+1⁄4 in (1.96 m) | 4.40 s | 1.55 s | 2.60 s | 41.5 in (1.05 m) | 11 ft 1 in (3.38 m) | 19 reps | ||
| All values fromPro Day[12][13][14] | ||||||||||||
TheCarolina Panthers selected Horn in the first round (8th overall) in the2021 NFL draft.[15] Horn was the first cornerback and defensive back to be drafted in 2021. As the 8th overall pick, Horn was the highest draft pick from South Carolina sinceJadeveon Clowney in2014 and the highest drafted cornerback from South Carolina, overtakingDunta Robinson(2004) andStephon Gilmore(2012) who were both respectively drafted 10th overall.[16]
| External videos | |
|---|---|
| Panthers draft Jaycee Horn No. 8 | |
| Jaycee Horn reacts to getting drafted |
On June 15, 2021, the Panthers signed Horn to a fully guaranteed four–year, $21.11 million contract that includes an initialsigning bonus of $12.71 million.[17] Throughout training camp, Horn competed to be one of the starting cornerbacks against veteransDonte Jackson andA. J. Bouye. Head coachMatt Rhule named Horn and Jackson the starting cornerbacks to begin the regular season.
On September 12, 2021, Horn made his professional regular season debut in the Carolina Panthers' home–opener against theNew York Jets and had a season–high three combined tackles (two solo) during a 19–14 victory. On September 19, 2021, Horn had one pass deflection and made his first career interception on a pass thrown byJameis Winston to wide receiverJuwan Johnson as the Panthers routed theNew Orleans Saints 26–7.[18] On September 23, 2021, he made two combined tackles (one solo) before exiting in the third quarter of a 24–9 win at theHouston Texans after injuring his foot. On September 27, 2021, the Carolina Panther placed Horn oninjured reserve after it was discovered he had fractured his foot.[19][20] He finished his rookie campaign during the2021 NFL season with a total of five combined tackles (three solo), one pass deflection, and one interception in three games and three starts.
He entered training camp in 2022 and competed against Donte Jackson andC. J. Henderson to be the No. 1 starting cornerback. Head coach Matt Rhule named him the No. 1 starting cornerback to begin the regular season, alongside Donte Jackson.[21]
On September 25, 2022, Horn made two combined tackles (one solo), a season-high three pass deflections, and intercepted a pass thrown by Jameis Winston toChris Olave during a 22–14 victory against theNew Orleans Saints. He was inactive for two games (Weeks 6–7) after injuring his ribs. In Week 14, he collected a season-high six combined tackles (five solo), two pass deflections, and intercepted a pass byGeno Smith to wide receiverTyler Lockett during a 30–24 win at theSeattle Seahawks. On December 24, 2022, he tied his season-high of six combined tackles before exiting during the fourth quarter of a 37–23 win against theDetroit Lions after suffering an injury while tackling wide receiverJosh Reynolds. On December 25, 2022, Carolina Panthers' interim head coachSteve Wilkes announced that Horn had suffered a broken wrist and would have to undergo surgery and miss the last two games (Weeks 17–18) of the season.[22] He finished the2022 NFL season with 53 combined tackles (37 solo), seven pass deflections, and a team-leading three interceptions through 13 games and 13 starts.[23][24]
On January 26, 2023, theCarolina Panthers hiredFrank Reich as their new head coach.[25] Defensive coordinatorEjiro Evero named Horn andDonte Jackson the starting cornerbacks to begin the season. On September 10, 2023, Horn started in the Carolina Panthers' season–opener at theAtlanta Falcons and made one tackle before exiting in the first quarter during a 24–10 loss due to an injury. On September 15, 2023, The Carolina Panthers placed Horn on injured reserve due to a hamstring injury.[26] On November 27, 2021, the Carolina Panthers fired head coach Frank Reich after a 1–10 start.[27] On December 2, 2023, he was activated off ofinjured reserve.[28] In Week 14, he collected a season-high seven combined tackles (six solo) during a 6–28 loss at theNew Orleans Saints. He finished the2023 NFL season with only 27 combined tackles (20 solo) and five pass deflections in six games and six starts.
On January 25, 2024, theCarolina Panthers announced the hiring of formerTampa Bay Buccaneers' offensive coordinatorDave Canales as their new head coach.[29][30] On April 26, 2024, the Carolina Panthers exercised the fifth–year option on Horn's rookie contract for one–year, $12.37 million contract.[31]
Canales retained Ejiro Evero as defensive coordinator. Head coach Dave Canales named Horn the No. 1 starting cornerback to begin the regular season and paired him withMike Jackson.[32]
On September 15, 2024, Horn made six combined tackles (four solo), a season-high two pass deflections, and intercepted a pass thrown byJustin Herbert to wide receiverLadd McConkey during a 3–26 loss to theLos Angeles Chargers. In Week 4, he collected a season–high eight combined tackles (seven solo) as the Panthers lost 24–34 to theCincinnati Bengals. On November 24, 2024, Horn made six solo tackles and recorded his first career sack for a 12–yard loss onPatrick Mahomes during a 27–30 loss to theKansas City Chiefs. Horn injured his hip and subsequently missed the last two games (Weeks 17–18) of the2024 NFL season. He finished the season with a career-high 68 combined tackles (49 solo), 13 pass deflections, a career-high two sacks, and one interception in. 15 games and 15 starts.[33]
On March 10, 2025, Horn signed a four–year, $100.00 million contract extension with the Panthers that includes $72.00 million guaranteed, $46.70 million guaranteed upon signing, and an initialsigning bonus of $28.40 million.[34] His deal made him the highest-paid defensive back in the league.[35] He started 16 games in 2025, recording 37 tackles, eight passes defensed, and a team-leading five interceptions, on his way to his second straight Pro Bowl.
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Comb | Solo | Ast | Sck | Sfty | PD | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | FF | FR | TD | ||
| 2021 | CAR | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | CAR | 13 | 13 | 53 | 37 | 16 | 0.0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 49 | 16.3 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | CAR | 6 | 6 | 27 | 20 | 7 | 0.0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | CAR | 15 | 15 | 68 | 49 | 19 | 2.0 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | CAR | 16 | 16 | 37 | 26 | 11 | 0.0 | 0 | 8 | 5 | 46 | 9.2 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 53 | 53 | 190 | 135 | 55 | 2.0 | 0 | 34 | 10 | 108 | 10.8 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Comb | Solo | Ast | Sck | Sfty | PD | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | FF | FR | TD | ||
| 2025 | CAR | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
His father,Joe Horn, played as awide receiver in the NFL.[36] He is also the brother of the former NFL wide receiverJoe Horn Jr. He is in a relationship withWNBA player and South Carolina alumBrea Beal.[37]
