One of the biggest names to take to the transfer portal this year was surely Malik Hornsby. The former Arkansas quarterback turned heads when he made his decision to transfer to Texas State public. Now, a spring circuit into his tenure in San Marcos, Hornsby opened up about his fresh opportunity to lead a team in the state of Texas.
Malik Hornsby Relishing ‘Opportunity’ in Texas
“It was an opportunity to come back home,” Hornsby said on Thursday, April 20. “There’s nothing better than Texas football.”
A native of Texas, Hornsby was a top-ranked quarterback prospect from Marshall High School in Missouri City, a suburb of Houston. Hornsby signed with Arkansas and spent three seasons with the Razorbacks, attempting just 39 passes during that time.
With KJ Jefferson returning for another season in Fayetteville, Hornsby hit the transfer portal following the 2022 season, looking for an opportunity. That opportunity showed itself in a familiar albeit relatively unknown place.
“I got a great opportunity to come be a leader of a team that I’m very happy about right now,” Hornsby said. “To play and be in Texas, close to my family, that’s what really got me here.”
Sure, Hornsby had other offers, as he mentioned as well, but showcasing his talent as a quarterback is ultimately what drew him to Texas State.
“I had other opportunities to go play DI football elsewhere, but I believe in coach G.J. (Kinne), coach (Mack) Leftwich,” Hornsby said. “They gave me an opportunity to come showcase my talent as a quarterback instead of playing receiver or anything like that, so I’m going to take that and run with it.”
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Hornsby, a decorated track star in high school, caught two passes and ran the ball 57 times in his career at Arkansas. A dominant athlete with the ball in his hands, he hasn’t been able to showcase his full arsenal of talent as a quarterback, and it appears that was of interest in his transfer portal discussions.
However, that doesn’t seem to matter in San Marcos as Hornsby is the leader of a radically-changing program.
“I’ve been preparing myself for this moment since coming out of high school,” Hornsby said about being the leader at Texas State. “It’s a lot of pressure because I’ve got 100-plus teammates that look up to me day-to-day. At the end of the day, I have to be that leader because they feed off my energy.”
“In high school, I was the general, and it’s time to put it on as a show now.”
That show that Hornsby wants to put on will certainly include some world-class athleticism. When asked if he thought he was the fastest player on the team, Hornsby gave it little thought with his answer:
“Me, me, me,” Hornsby said.
“It feels great, knowing you’re running past someone that’s running their full speed, and getting away, getting a first down, getting a touchdown,” Hornsby added.
Yet, despite his high-profile platform and his elite athleticism, Hornsby is locked in a quarterback battle with CJ Rogers as the summer approaches.
“We’re cool, it’s competition when we step on the field, but outside of the field, we’re buddies,” Hornsby said of his relationship with his competition. “We help each other in the film room, help each other get better.”
That competition and the ability to put a team on his back have surely tested Hornsby since joining Texas State. But by all accounts, Hornsby is the one ushering in a new era of football for the Bobcats.
As he continues to relish the chance he’s received to play football back in the state of Texas, Hornsby has a modest mindset, continues to push himself to be better, and is eternally grateful for the opportunity, however long it lasts.
“It feels great to know that some coaches that are here believe in me enough to give me this opportunity,” Hornsby said. “Like I said, opportunities don’t last that long.”
