CHARLOTTE — Jimmy Horn Jr. is fearless. It's the only way he knows to play.

"That's like, rule number one of playing ball, you know," Horn preached Saturday night after being drafted No. 208 overall by the Carolina Panthers.

"I feel like ever since growing up, you know, playing ball, you always just have to be fearless. Playing ball in the neighborhood with my friends, you just have to be fearless, and you can't play football scared; that's how I can explain it in the easiest way."

Playing fearless and free helped Horn pull in 67 receptions for 959 yards and four touchdowns in two years at South Florida, then transfer to Colorado under Deion Sanders and a total of 95 receptions for 1,008 yards and seven touchdowns in two years with the Buffaloes. Those numbers were picked up while playing behind Heisman Trophy winner and No. 2 overall pick Travis Hunter.

With one of the best players of a generation in front of him on the depth chart and a 5-10 170-pound stature, Horn knew he'd have to find other ways to stand out in the receiving corps. So he leaned on what got him on the football field in the first place.

"You just can't be scared out there on the field, and you have to be able to think under pressure," Horn explained. "And football is a game, it's fine, and you just got to be fearless while you play it. You know what's coming with it. You know the consequences that come with something behind it, so you just got to be ready to deal with it. That's how I feel about it, though."

Even with four years of tape from which to pull, there is one game—and play—that Horn posits as the best example of his "fearless" style. It came in Week 9 when the Buffs faced the Cincinnati Bearcats. Colorado won the game 34-23, and Horn finished with five questions for 78 yards.

On the first drive, facing a third-and-13, Horn took a shallow bubble, cut back outside, and raced down the sideline for what would've been a 58-yard touchdown if not called back for a penalty.

"Crossing back across the field, like it could be dangerous doing that, you know, the big guy, that's their favorite thing to look for," said Horn, "I got my size crossing across the field and running like it was, I caught a bubble. And I ran to the right side, did like a step back, and I just ran to the other side of the field and I had got a big gain off of that, but that was a risky play too."

Throughout his college career, Horn has also been a full-time kick returner. In 2023, he added punt returns to his resume as well. On kickoffs in 2024, he returned the ball 11 times for 210 years with a long of 61 yards. Throughout the draft process, coaches and teams talked with Horn about the NFL's new kickoff rule and how he might be implemented.

"Coaches would tell me to just watch film and study the game more so I could get a better feel for it. I ain't got it all figured out yet," Horn admitted, "but I like it; it looks pretty easy, so, you know, I love to return, though. I'm just ready.

"I won't say it's just simple, but I'm like from the standpoint I view it if I get a good gap that I know I can hit it through, I know it's a good possibility."

Horn will join a receiver room that includes Adam Thielen, Xavier Legette, Jalen Coker, David Moore, and Hunter Renfrow, as well as rookie Tetairoa McMillan, who the Panthers drafted No. 8 overall on Thursday night. Horn and McMillan crossed paths at the combine, and "We're just on the elevator vibing," joked Horn.

"I never knew we were going to cross paths again, and it's a blessing to be playing with him, man."