Horton grew up in Norman, Oklahoma, and attended Norman High School, where he played baseball and football and was once the member of an exclusive Fantasy football league.[1] Horton committed to play college baseball at Oklahoma and to join the school's football team as a walk-on.[2] In his senior football season, he passed for 3,084 yards and 26 touchdowns with seven interceptions and also rushed for 1,149 yards and 15 touchdowns.[3] Horton was named the Oklahoma Gatorade Player of the Year in baseball after batting .375 in five games before the season was canceled due to COVID-19.[4]
Horton tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow prior to the start of his freshman season, requiring him to undergo Tommy John surgery and redshirt the year.[5] He began his redshirt freshman season playing third base and occasionally pitching in relief while he was still recovering from his elbow surgery.[6] Horton was later moved to the Sooners' starting rotation.[7] He reached the Men's College World Series with the Sooners, where he started in two games. In the MCWS Finals game versus Ole Miss he registered a career high 13 strikeouts in 7.1 innings.[8]
