NEW: Trey Horne picks Georgia Tech over NC State, Florida, others
Coming into his weekend visit to Georgia Tech, Rabun Gap (Ga.) WR Trey Horne had a feeling he knew where home was.
Leaving Georgia Tech on Sunday morning, Horne had made up his mind. He was committed to play for head coach Brent Key, OC Buster Faulkner, and the rest of the staff.
Horne made the decision public on Tuesday afternoon. He becomes the first WR commit of the 2024 class, joining QB Aaron Philo and C Santana Alo-Tupuola as the third offensive member.
He chose Georgia Tech over a ton of other offers, including Florida, Florida State, NC State, and several others.
"We were all just sitting around in our meeting- Head coach Brent Key, OC Buster Faulkner, WR coach Josh Crawford, and myself.. We were talking about the weekend, and I let them know I was ready to commit," said Horne as he detailed the moment he made things official. "I asked Coach Key why he first came to Georgia tech, and he explained his reasoning. I'm really a big believer in what he (Key) is doing with this program, and how he is pouring into it. It is amazing, honestly, and I am excited to be a part of it."
The reaction from the coaches as Horne gave them the news was exactly what one would expect. Everyone was fired up.
"As soon as I committed, he stood up, gave me a hug, shook my hand, and there were smiles all over the room," Horne said about the moments following his decision to commit. "It was a great moment for sure."
Going into the weekend, Horne already had a feeling that Georgia Tech was going to be home. The visit was everything he had hoped it would be and more, leaving no doubt in his mind on Sunday morning that it was decision time.
"I came into the weekend with Georgia Tech already on top, but I really wanted to get a feel for the city/campus and everything. I'm a down south guy from a small town, I have never really been around that many people before. I was worried about the city life. They put me with Haynes over the weekend, and he showed me a lot of great, low-key things to do in the city and I loved every bit of it."
As for Horne's fit in the new-look Georgia Tech offense, it doesn't seem like there will be any issue getting him immersed into what Faulkner is looking to do. The strong relationship he and Faulkner have built up played a real role in the timing of the decision as well.
"Coach Faulkner loves to throw the ball. He loves to throw screens, and he mixes it up a lot and spreads the ball all over the field. I've got the ability to play X,Y,Z, I can really line up all over the field. This type of offense is perfect for a wide receiver, it really is. I primarily will be playing on the outside, but they still will have me run motion, get the ball on a sweep, catch screens, 50-50 balls, I'll do a little bit of everything. I've been talking to him for a long while. Him and my head coach are both from Mississippi, and go back to his days at Southern Miss where they used to talk as well. I talk to him (Faulkner) almost everyday. We talk on the phone about all kinds of things. It isn't just football there, we talk about everything."
"I talked to NC State earlier, called them and let them know I was committing to Georgia Tech. All of the schools I contacted said that they are going to keep recruiting me, but I let them know that I am 100% going to Georgia Tech. I am locked in, no more visits. Sunday night after getting home from the visit, I could not sleep. I have just been so excited. Have been jumping for joy. It feels amazing to know that I get to call Georgia Tech home, and to have my recruitment over is a true relief."
When recruits are just starting the process, and beginning to gain traction with interest and offers, they constantly will talk about "doing whatever it takes" to get to the level of recruitment Horne was at.
As he shuts things down and focuses on recruiting others and his senior year, he does so with a sigh of relief knowing that the process is now a thing of the past.
"I was definitely blessed to have over 20 offers and opportunities, but this process can absolutely be overwhelming at times," said Horne. "Everybody says they would love to be in the shoes of a recruit like this, but then when you're here, it can be a bit much. You've got all these coaches texting you and calling you, and you've got to sift through it and find the best fit for you. That's without even mentioning the amount of reporters that get your number, and even some fans. It gets crazy."
After having his family with him throughout the weekend at Georgia Tech, making the decision to commit to Brent Key and the rest of the staff was an easy choice for both Horne and his family.
"They love it, and they really love head coach Brent Key," Horne said about his family's reaction to his decision to commit to the school. "Coach Key really is a great guy, and they love what he is doing with the program, how he is investing in it. I think the last coach was so focused on building other things or whatever he was doing, but Key was like heck no, scratch that, let's put this money into the program, investing in meal plans and giving back to the players."
Horne and QB commit Aaron Philo have built up a relationship over the last several weeks, and after spending the weekend with his future QB on their OV's, Horne was excited to give him the news that he was joining the class.
"I told him over the weekend that I was probably going to commit, but when I gave him the news on Sunday that I had done it, he was really excited," he said. "We are probably going to be roommates next year Me and Aaron have been in contact for a while now, and are going to put together some times where we should be able to workout on the field together."
