| Profile | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Offensive guard | ||||
| Personal information | |||||
| Born | October 7, 1997 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. | ||||
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||
| Weight | 325 lb (147 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| High school | Lakeside (GA) | ||||
| College | Auburn (2015–2019) | ||||
| NFL draft | 2020: undrafted | ||||
| Career history | |||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||
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Mike Horton (born October 7, 1997) is an American football offensive guard. He played college football for the Auburn Tigers and has also been a member of the Carolina Panthers.
Horton was born in Atlanta, Georgia on October 7, 1996, or 1997. [1] [2] He attended Lakeside High School and was ranked a three-star prospect. [3] He was a two-way player at tackle in football and also played basketball and competed in track and field. [4] [5] Horton was named a first-team all-region player, was selected to the Semper Fi All-American Bowl, and was ranked by 247Sports as one of the top-60 prospects in the state, additionally being ranked the 23rd-best nationally at his position by ESPN. [5] He received interest from numerous NCAA Division I FBS teams and initially committed to play for the Florida Gators, but later flipped to Auburn. [6] [7]
As a true freshman at Auburn in 2015, Horton redshirted. [8] The following year, he appeared in 12 games, seeing extensive action as the sixth offensive lineman on the depth chart, often playing as an extra blocker in run formations. [5] [9] He started seven games in 2017, mainly as a left guard. [10] Horton moved to right guard in 2018 but didn't have a great transition, ranking 627th out of 836 college lineman according to Pro Football Focus' rankings. [11] He started 12 games as a senior in 2019, finishing his stint at the school with 32 career starts. [5]
After going unselected in the 2020 NFL draft, Horton was signed by the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent. [12] He was released at the final rosters cuts and was afterwards re-signed to the practice squad. [13] [14] He was elevated to the active roster as a COVID-19 replacement for their game against the New Orleans Saints, but did not play and returned to the practice squad afterwards. [1] [15] He was elevated again for the team's following game against the Atlanta Falcons, but was inactive. [16] He was signed to a reserve/future contract on January 4, 2021. [17]
Horton was released at roster cuts again in 2021, being re-signed to the practice squad soon after. [18] [19] He was released from the practice squad on September 14, but was brought back on September 27. [20] [21] He was elevated to the active roster for their week 10 game against the Arizona Cardinals, and made his debut in the game, appearing on six special teams snaps, 24% of their total special teams snaps. [22] [23] He received another elevation for their game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in week 16 and appeared on two snaps. [23] [24] Horton was elevated for a final time against the New Orleans Saints one week later and played three snaps. [19] [23] He thus played in a total of three games in the 2021 season, appearing on 11 snaps. [1] He signed a reserve/future contract on January 10, 2022. [25] Horton was released by the Panthers following the 2022 preseason and was not re-signed to the practice squad. [26]
Horton was selected in the third round (18th overall) of the offensive line phase of the 2023 XFL draft by the Arlington Renegades. [26] He made the team's final roster and appeared in all 10 games as a starter, helping them win the 2023 XFL Championship Game over the DC Defenders. [2] [27] [28] He was not part of the roster after the 2024 UFL dispersal draft on January 15, 2024. [29]