Huskies Add Quarterback Insurance with Ex-Tulane Player

Kai Horton comes to Montlake after four seasons in New Orleans.
Tulane  quarterback Kai Horton shows his displeasure over having his helmet pulled off.
Tulane quarterback Kai Horton shows his displeasure over having his helmet pulled off. / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Kai Horton, who threw just a solitary pass for Tulane this past season, has committed to the University of Washington football team -- likely knowing he might not play much at all for the Huskies with the starting job firmly in the hands of sophomore Demond Williams Jr.

On Tuesday, the 6-foot-4, 219-pound Horton revealed his intentions to On3, agreeing to join the UW as an insurance signal-caller behind Williams, who has been called the face of UW football going forward by coach Jedd Fisch.

Horton from Carthage, Texas, entered the transfer portal after four seasons with Tulane in which he appeared in 13 games and started three times, including the 2023 Military Bowl against Virginia Tech. He has a season of eligibility remaining.

Horton will join a UW quarterback pool that begins with the 5-foot-11, 187-pound Williams, who as a freshman started the final two games of the season, including the Sun Bowl against Louisville; 6-foot-3, 203-pound junior Shea Kuykendall, who started three times for Northern Colorado in 2023 but sat out all of last season at the UW; plus 6-foot-1, 215-pound Ashton "Dash" Beierly and 6-foot, 200-pound Trenton "Kini" McMillan, both incoming freshmen.

The new guy spent most of his time in New Orleans as a back-up or third-teamer behind Michael Pratt, now on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers practice squad. This past season, he was considered a starting candidate but was beat out by redshirt freshman Darian Mensah, who guided the Wave to a 9-4 record and has since transferred to Duke.

Horton certainly has been tested along the way. As a freshman in 2021, he started against an unbeaten Cincinnati team at midseason and completed 7 of 16 passes for 79 yards with 2 interceptions in a 31-12 loss at home.

 Tulane quarterback Kai Horton passes against Mississippi in 2022.
Tulane quarterback Kai Horton passes against Mississippi in 2022. / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

In 2023, he dgew the start against Mississippi and hit on 15 of 37 passes for 231 yards and a touchdown with a pick in a 37-20 loss in New Orleans.

Horton got the call to open the 2023 Military Bowl against Virginia Tech when Pratt opted out and he hit on 13 of 20 passes for 119 yards in a 41-20 loss in Annapolis, Maryland.

In his career moment at Tulane, Horton came off the bench in 2022 and threw 3 touchdown passes in leading his team to a 27-24 overtime victory over Houston on the road.

His career passing stats: 64 completions in 123 attempts for 833 yards and 6 touchdowns, with 5 interceptions.

With a Friday Night Lights background, Horton guided his Carthage High School team to a 4A state championship as a senior. Carthage is 20 miles from the Texas-Louisiana state line southwest of Shreveport.

For the latest UW football and basketball news, go to si.com/college/washington


Published |Modified
Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.