Josh Pate has Alabama fans talking with his ‘breakout player’ prediction

The biggest change on Alabama’s offense from Year 1 to Year 2 of the Kalen DeBoer era has gotten all the attention in Tuscaloosa this offseason, and rightfully so. First-year starting quarterback Ty Simpson can make or break DeBoer’s tenure with the Tide, but national college football analyst Josh Pate is focusing on a different newcomer poised for a breakout in 2025. 

Pate honed in on Miami transfer wide receiver Isaiah Horton as his “breakout player” for the Tide this season. That’s a bold claim in a crowded wide receiver room, but Pate made a compelling case for the 6-foot-4 junior who will be catching passes from Simpson. 

Isaiah Horton breakout means Ty Simpson is elite

Isaiah Horton caught 56 passes for 616 yards and five touchdowns from the eventual No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft last season at Miami. He earned the trust of Cam Ward quickly and became a focal point of the Canes’ passing game, but still finished second in receptions and third in receiving yards behind Xavier Restrepo and Jacolby George. 

His production last season was staggering for a borderline WR3, but an elite quarterback can sustain elite production for multiple pass-catchers. Five Hurricanes finished the year with over 500 yards in the most prolific passing offense in the Power 4. Again, in Alabama, Horton will be WR2 or 3 behind incumbents Ryan Williams and Germie Bernard, so if Pate is expecting another breakout year from Horton, he’s also predicting a massive season from Simpson. 

If it wasn’t for Jeremiah Smith Jr. at Ohio State, Williams would be viewed as the best wide receiver in the country and the top non-QB Heisman Trophy candidate for 2025. With Smith’s gaudy profile, Williams is somehow an underrated national superstar, and regardless, will be Simpson’s primary target throughout the season. Bernard, too, will be leaned on heavily after finishing 2024 with two more catches than Williams, and only slightly fewer yards. 

Isaiah Horton gives Alabama a different look at WR

Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb is back with DeBoer after one season spent with the Seattle Seahawks. Two years ago, when they collaborated in Seattle, leading the Washington Huskies to the national championship game, their passing game supported three dominant wide receivers, Rome Odunze, Ja’Lynn Polk, and Jalen McMillan. If Simpson is ready to handle a robust passing game, they can orchestrate a similar attack in Tuscaloosa. 

Grubb is known for his use of pre-snap motion and stacks to give his receivers a free release off the line of scrimmage and for varying tempo to keep defenses off balance. However, his best trick, particularly with wide college hash marks, is using a bunch to the boundary. This isolates a receiver, typically your X (Williams), but sometimes a big physical Z (Horton), to the field and gives them plenty of room to create separation. 

In those situations, Williams will dominate with his quickness and rare body control. Horton will just dominate with his body. 

Horton moves better than most with his 6-foot-4, 200-pound frame, and he can win in contest catch situations at nearly a 60 percent clip. He has all the talent, and you can argue that he had his breakout last season, so if Pate expects even more in 2025 with Williams demanding 100 targets and Bernard at least around 70, that means great things for the Crimson Tide passing offense.