In late December 2025, head coach Mike Elko and offensive coordinator Holmon Wiggins knew they had a problem.
Problem? What problem? They just finished 11-2 in regular-season play and qualified for the university’s first-ever appearance in the college football playoff, losing to the eventual runner-up, Miami, 3-10.
Yes, the season was a success, but in the big-money, big-stakes business of modern-day college football, only championships matter, and resting on your laurels will get you fired.
After starting X wide receiver Noah Thomas transferred to Georgia, the 2025 Texas A&M wide receiver room had a hole and consisted only of players six-foot and under. The lack of size was cited as one of the reasons TAMU couldn’t score a touchdown against the physical Hurricane defense.
Elko and Wiggins needed to completely reset the boundary position in the portal, and when the portal opened on January 2nd, they immediately targeted former Alabama wide receiver Isaiah Horton, officially signing him on January 11th, recapturing that missing, dominant ‘True X’.
Isaiah Horton was a 247 four-star from Tennessee who committed to the University of Miami out of high school. Horton broke out in his redshirt sophomore year while being led by 1st overall NFL Draft pick Cam Ward.
Horton jumped into the transfer portal and joined Kalen DeBoer and Ty Simpson at the University of Alabama. After enjoying another productive season, Horton decided to enter the portal again, claiming the departure was amicable but wasn’t comfortable in his role.
Coach Holmon Wiggins offered Horton a crystal-clear, high-volume blueprint that guaranteed Horton the undisputed, alpha “X” boundary role where his 6’4″, 215-pound frame could command a massive target share for NFL scouts.
A bonus for Horton was Marcel Reed. Both players are from the Volunteer State and played together on the 7-on7 circuit.
“He adds a different dimension to the room, maybe a dimension that we were missing last year in terms of pure size and height, the ability to go and make contested catches.”
– Texas A&M head football coach Mike Elko
