Joshua Horton Wins State Title, Ready to Help Canes?
The Miami Hurricanes have been in the process of building a winning culture through the 2023 recruiting class. While talent trumps just about any other ingredient for a recruit, it was probably also beneficial to recruit former high school champion as well.
With current Canes defensive tackle commitment Joshua Horton, Miami has a committed prospect that’s already seen what it’s like to be a part of a building a program brick by brick, and finally reaching the pinnacle. As the saying goes, Rome was not built in a day. Horton attested to that old saying in his own way, with the following tweet:
Just imagine the process Langston Hughes went through, including enduring what it was like to be 2-8. Now, the 6-foot-5 and 295-pound defensive tackle is going to enroll at the University of Miami after being a part of a 6A state champion that went 15-0 overall.
Congratulations to Horton, his teammates, and all the folks at Langston Hughes for gaining the school’s first state title. This state championship, and the lessons Horton gained from that run, could aid him and Miami sooner than later.
Located just south of Atlanta in Fairburn, Ga., the coaching staff operated a tight ship. Ask someone that’s been to multiple practices at Langston Hughes during the past couple of years, and one will be assured that’s the case.
Discipline is instilled through tackling drills, executing precise routes, and holding players accountable for knowing offensive and defensive checks at the line of scrimmage. Those are just a few examples of how the program gets the job done. All of those qualities led to the following statistic.
Horton was an instrumental part of the state title run, a season in which Langston Hughes did not have a game closer than 26 points until winning the state title 35-28 victory over Gainesville High School.
In many ways, Langston Hughes has been operated like a college program. That’s a big reason why it steamrolled so many teams in 2022. For the year, Langston Hughes outscored its opponents 792-177, for an average final score of 52.8 to 11.8.
Horton has learned how to win, and now he’s bringing that to Miami.
Lastly, keep in mind, the Canes lost defensive tackle Darrell Jackson, Jr. to the Transfer Portal. He was a key piece to the interior of the 2022 defensive front. Head coach Mario Cristobal and his staff might call upon Horton to play a significant amount of minutes in 2023. He’s been in training to make the leap to the college level and Miami will probably utlize Horton's talents next fall.
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