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USA Today
17-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Panthers' Jaycee Horn earns spot on ESPN's top-10 CB list
Here's a list Carolina Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn might not have an issue with . . . ESPN's Jeremy Fowler wrapped up his offseason positional rankings on Thursday, highlighting the NFL's top corners. And according to the vote—which polled league executives, coaches and scouts—Horn ranks as the seventh-best player at his position. "His only thing is health," an NFC personnel evaluator said, via Fowler. "When he's been on the field the past three years, he's been good. Can play inside and out, urgent and physical in the run game." Due to numerous injuries, Horn was limited to just 22 of a possible 51 games over his first three pro campaigns. He was much more available in 2024, where he played in a career-high 15 contests while also posting bests in tackles (68), sacks (2.0) and passes defensed (13). Horn's efforts earned him his first trip to the Pro Bowl Games. He'd also cash in on a four-year, $100 million contract extension in March—which, for a very brief time, made him the highest-paid cornerback in the sport. As for the guys who settled in above No. 7, Horn is looking up at Denver's Pat Surtain II (No. 1), Houston's Derek Stingley Jr. (No. 2), Cleveland's Denzel Ward (No. 3), Kansas City's Trent McDuffie (No. 4), New York's Sauce Gardner (No. 5) and New England's Christian Gonzalez (No. 6). Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
USA Today
09-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Ranking every cornerback in the NFC South, from Mike Hughes to Jaycee Horn
Out with the old, in with the new Furthering our NFC South rankings, we now turn to the defensive backfield -- specifically the cornerback room -- where several top-tier talents have departed over the past eight months. While the division still features a few established names among the league's best, much of the spotlight this season will be on younger players stepping into starting roles for the first time. Development, depth, and scheme fit will be critical factors in determining who rises and who gets exposed. Teams that can quickly groom their new starters may gain a real edge in divisional play. Here's how the NFC South cornerbacks stack up heading into the 2025 season: 8. Mike Hughes, Atlanta Falcons A former first-round pick who struggled to find stability early in his career, bouncing from team to team, has begun to find his footing in Atlanta -- playing his best football this past season. 7. Isaac Yiadom, New Orleans Saints Yiadom returns to New Orleans this season after his breakout 2023 campaign, where he posted one of the highest forced incompletion rates in the league. 6. Mike Jackson, Carolina Panthers A physical corner with impressive size, Jackson made his presence felt last season -- finishing third in the league with 12 pass breakups. 5. Zyon McCollum, Tampa Bay Buccaneers A tremendous talent with rare physical traits, McCollum played the best football of his young career last season, recording 13 pass breakup -- good for second-most in the NFL 4. Kool-Aid McKinstry, New Orleans Saints A polished young corner whose greatest asset is his patience. His ability to consistently stay in phase throughout a route will be a trait that could soon set him apart from his peers. 3. Jamel Dean, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Dean is a seasoned, physical boundary corner known for his reliability, durability, and consistency in coverage. While not a flashy player, he brings stability to the back end of Tampa Bay's defense. 2. A.J. Terrell, Atlanta Falcons A technically sound press corner with elite mirror skills, Terrell led the league last season with 14 pass breakup -- further cementing his status as one of the NFL's top cover guys. 1. Jaycee Horn, Carolina Panthers When healthy, Jaycee Horn is one of the most physically gifted corners in the league. Coming off a breakout 2024 season with 13 pass breakups and his first Pro Bowl nod, the former top-10 pick finally lived up to his potential.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Panthers' Bryce Young, Jaycee Horn get into jawing match at Tuesday's mandatory minicamp
It's kinda starting to feel like 2015 over in Charlotte, N.C. On Tuesday, the Carolina Panthers took the practice field for the first of three mandatory minicamp sessions. The outing featured some lively 7-on-7 action, including a jawing match between starting quarterback Bryce Young and Pro Bowl cornerback Jaycee Horn. Advertisement Head coach Dave Canales spoke about the competitiveness of Young afterwards. "Honestly, he gets really animated," Canales told reporters. "Particularly if you're talking about sports, he loves talking about NBA basketball, college sports during the season when we're going, when we're out here on the field. He just has a defiance to him, and that's just kinda his way of competing. "He's not super animated with it, but he definitely thrives off of that, feeds off that energy. He takes his chances when he can because Jaycee is trying to bait him into throwing the ball over there." That energy may remind Panthers fans of the infamous Cam Newton-Josh Norman fight at training camp 10 years ago. The two got physical after Norman picked off and stiff-armed Newton in the face, prompting quite a scuffle and—in what's become franchise lore—the team's run to Super Bowl 50. Advertisement Horn also spoke about Young's chatter following practice. "He talkin' trash every day," Horn said with a smile. "It's getting fun." Between that battle between their quarterback and cornerback and their season opener in Jacksonville, the Panthers can now draw two pretty crazy similarities to that magical 2015 season. Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content. This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers QB Bryce Young jaws with CB Jaycee Horn at mandatory minicamp
New York Times
12-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Chuba Hubbard's birthday celebration? Competing, getting chatty with Panthers defense
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Wednesday was Chuba Hubbard's birthday, not that you would have known it watching the Carolina Panthers' minicamp session and the post-practice activities. It looked like any other day for the 26-year-old running back. Hubbard ran hard and engaged in a war of words with Jaycee Horn and every other defender who dared to challenge him. Then, when practice wrapped up, Hubbard found an equipment staffer to fire footballs at him while most of his teammates headed to the air conditioning. Advertisement The only thing missing was tight end Tommy Tremble, Hubbard's friend and JUGS machine partner, who remains sidelined following back surgery. 'Obviously, that's my guy. He would have been out here catching with me per usual if he could've,' Hubbard said. 'But just a bump in the road. He'll bounce back. We have, in my opinion, the best staff when it comes to training stuff like that. They take care of us. So he'll be back by the season and be ready to go.' Hubbard will unwind for a bit after minicamp concludes Thursday and will host a youth camp in July in his hometown of Edmonton. But Hubbard is never too far from work. While some guys might have a barbecue grill or basketball court in their backyard, Hubbard has his own JUGS machine. Visitors are welcome to use it, including a neighbor who likes to try his hand at snagging passes. 'So shoutout to my neighbor,' Hubbard said. The Panthers extended Hubbard halfway through the 2024 season on a four-year, $33.2 million deal. With his propensity to work in practice and produce in games, Hubbard is exactly the kind of player that Dave Canales and Dan Morgan want to reward. It's also telling that Hubbard and Horn, who signed a four-year, $100 million extension in March, are the most vocal players on the field while trying to set the tone for practice. 'It's usually always Jaycee and Chuba,' said rookie edge rusher Princely Umanmielen, who just arrived in April. 'Chuba's always yapping. He's a big trash talker. So the defense always goes at it with him.' Hubbard declined to get into the particulars of his trash-talking with Horn, for fear it would give his birthday an R rating. 'I probably shouldn't say it on camera. Just keep it on the field,' he said. 'But it was definitely competitive. I love that type of stuff, so it was good.' Advertisement What hasn't been as good has been the coaching staff and front-office churn Hubbard has endured since the Panthers drafted him in the fourth round out of Oklahoma State in 2021. This will be the first year of Hubbard's career with the same head coach and offensive coordinator from the previous season. He's ready for some stability. 'Obviously, the last four years I've been here, it's been a new head coach, new scheme, new system,' Hubbard said. 'So to build off what we had last year, which I believe was really good — and to build off that chemistry — I mean, we see it out here. Just the way we're practicing, the way we trust each other, the way we're communicating, it's starting to show. Just the more we practice, the more we play, the closer we're gonna get and the better we're gonna get.' Chuba Hubbard getting birthday wishes as he signs autographs — Joe Person (@josephperson) June 11, 2025 The running back room has a new makeup this year with the additions of fourth-round pick Trevor Etienne and free-agent acquisition Rico Dowdle. While praising the newcomers, Hubbard also appeared to take a veiled shot at Miles Sanders, who lost his starting spot to Hubbard in 2024 and wasn't the happiest camper before getting released in March. 'Usually in the running back room, sometimes it can be a little off,' Hubbard said. 'But everyone's cool in our room, and that's a blessing. I don't take that for granted.' Despite missing the final two games with a calf strain, Hubbard rushed for 1,195 yards in 2024 to become the Panthers' first 1,000-yard rusher since Christian McCaffrey in 2019. He hopes to build on that this year after a brief respite. 'I'm gonna take me some time off. It's my birthday, so a couple days,' he said. 'But after that, straight back to work. It's a big year.'
New York Times
11-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Panthers' Jaycee Horn still bringing the noise, trash talk after signing $100M deal
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Jaycee Horn strongly hinted he treated himself to a new vehicle after signing his four-year, $100 million extension — a splurge purchase he said he would reveal at the start of training camp. Otherwise, Horn said life has remained the same since becoming the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history, a title he held for about a week until Houston Texans cornerback Derek Stingley received a three-year, $90 million deal. Advertisement 'Ain't nothing really changed, man,' Horn said. 'I'm still trying to get better every day. Trying to go get some more money. That's all I'm trying to do.' On Tuesday, that meant trying to rally the rest of the Carolina Panthers' defense while attempting to get under the skin of quarterback Bryce Young. Near the end of the team's first minicamp practice, Horn started yelling and pointing at Young and running back Chuba Hubbard. It was reminiscent of the training camp trash talking that would take place at Wofford among Cam Newton and defensive players Josh Norman and Thomas Davis, one of several former players who attended Tuesday's practice. The feistiness is nothing new for Horn, who from his earliest days with the Panthers — like during the joint practices with the Indianapolis Colts, for instance — made it clear he wouldn't back down from anybody. But it was a side of Young that outsiders haven't really seen, prompted in part by Horn challenging him. 'He just has a defiance to him and that's just his way of competing. He's not super animated with it, but he definitely thrives off that, feeds off that energy,' Panthers coach Dave Canales said of Young. 'He takes his chances when he can because Jaycee's trying to bait him into throwing the ball over there.' Horn said the trash talking makes practices more fun, while also raising the intensity level — something the fifth-year corner stressed when the team huddled after practice. 'Everybody's gotta bring that attitude. It shouldn't just me and Bryce, or me and Chuba going back and forth. We've gotta come out here every day and compete,' Horn said he told his teammates. 'Like coach Canales said, if you come out here and compete hard, the guy across from you ain't gonna have no choice but to step his level up.' No one has questioned Horn's competitiveness since the Panthers took him eighth overall from South Carolina. His issue was staying on the field. But after missing 29 of 51 games due to various injuries his first three seasons, Horn modified his offseason regimen last year, played all but two games and earned his first Pro Bowl invite. He also banked a huge raise. But Canales hasn't noticed anything different about Horn since he became a $100 million man. Jaycee Horn said he had 'nothing for PFF' after the site ranked him 25th among corners. Horn also said he dealt with similar disrespect at South Carolina. — Joe Person (@josephperson) June 10, 2025 'Same guy,' Canales said. 'The focus, just his intentionality with taking care of his body, competing every day. Especially in individual drills, he's such a technician. Nothing has changed. That's awesome. You love to see that when a guy gets rewarded for being a great player, but then he just continues his path of work. And the goal is to build a winning team and to play winning football.' Advertisement Despite the Pro Bowl nod and big contract, Horn isn't always mentioned among the best at his position. When Pro Football Focus recently ranked the top 32 corners in the league, Horn was 25th. The analytics site cited Horn's injury history, while pointing out that Horn ranks 23rd in PFF's advanced coverage grades over the past three seasons. 'I ain't got nothing for PFF. No comment,' Horn said Tuesday. 'Y'all don't wanna know what I'm really thinking.' Horn said he's been disrespected since his college days at Columbia, where he was a second-team All-SEC pick in 2020 after finishing with two interceptions and six pass breakups in his last season with the Gamecocks. 'Felt like I was putting out good tape and same thing. I remember when I got drafted, they had an analyst saying I wasn't even a first-round player. I wasn't that good,' he said. 'It is what it is. As long as the Panthers think I'm a good player and my teammates think I'm a good player, that's all that matters. I'm just trying to do my job.' It probably didn't help that the Gamecocks won a total of six games over Horn's final two years, including a 2-8 mark during the COVID-shortened 2020 season, or that he's yet to play in an NFL playoff game. 'I think the winning teams get a little more pub. That's just how it goes,' Horn said. 'We've gotta win football games and then maybe they'll start giving me a little bit of respect. Until then I'm just gonna keep doing what I'm doing.' That has included taking on more of a leadership role following an exodus of older players on defense the past two offseasons, a list that includes Brian Burns, Frankie Luvu, Donte Jackson, Shaq Thompson and Jadeveon Clowney. Offensive tackle Taylor Moton said in addition to playing at 'elite-level' corner status, Horn is growing as a leader. Advertisement 'He's going to be one of the cornerstones of the defense coming up, so I love it. I love the energy he brings,' Moton said. 'And that energy, as I'm sure you've seen, is contagious. Everybody else starts bringing the juice when he brings the juice. And it's important to have that at practice, even something like minicamp practice. That's how we start building standards. That's how you start building culture.' The energy might be contagious. But in terms of his jawing with Young, Horn might have gotten the last word. 'He's talking way more this year. He's talking trash every day. It's getting fun,' Horn said. 'He came up to me after practice today and told me he's gonna stop going back and forth with me, though. He said I just be talking to be talking. I don't think he can take the heat, so he's gonna stop talking to me.'
