Transfer Portal Bio Blast: Horatio Fields

The winter transfer portal window officially opened on Monday. We’ve seen some heavy player movement and are expecting more over the next few days. Teams are working rapidly to get targets on campus for visits over the next few weeks to close these fast-paced recruitments.

Kentucky has production to replace at wide receiver. Kentucky needs more size at wide receiver. The Wildcats have locked in a visit with an ACC transfer that can check some boxes for this SEC program.

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Horatio Fields (6-3, 202) spent four seasons playing in Dave Clawson‘s Wake Forest program and is fresh off a career year. The transfer will be a redshirt senior in 2025 with one year of eligibility remaining but could receive a medical redshirt after missing the entire 2022 season due to injury. Can Kentucky close on this recruitment when Fields arrives to campus on Thursday?

KSR’s Transfer Bio Blast is taking a close look at the wideout transfer who just finished a visit to Duke and also has a visit scheduled with Auburn.

Injury history

Horatio Fields signed with Wake Forest out Douglasville (Ga.) New Manchester in the 2021 recruiting cycle. The scholarship offer from the Wake staff did not arrive until right before the early signing period. The low three-star recruit landed in the ACC and began his development plan.

Fields played in four games as a true freshman and preserved his redshirt for a Wake Forest team that made the ACC Championship Game. Unfortunately, injuries arose in 2022, and forced the young receiver to miss the season. That put the development track behind he eight-ball but Fields responded in a big way in 2024 as a redshirt junior.

Production as a starter

After a strong offseason, Horatio Fields became a starting wide receiver for Dave Clawson and offensive coordinator Warren Ruggiero. The outside receiver led the Wake Forest wideout unit in snaps (671) and receiving touchdowns (four). Fields ranked second on the team in targets (69), receptions (39), and receiving yards (463).

According to PFF data, over 30 percent of Fields’ targets were contested catch situations against tight coverage. The Wake Forest receiver completed 12 catches against tight coverage. The wideout had at least three receptions in nine games this season and was a reliable middle of the field target with 17 of his 39 receptions coming in between the hashes.

Horatio Fields with the Wake Forest tuddy pic.twitter.com/swOczD4Oox

— Mr Matthew CFB (@MrMatthew_CFB) October 12, 2024

Luckett’s scouting notebook

Horatio Fields only has one year of college tape but the Wake Forest transfer had solid-to-good first season as a full-time starter. The Peach State native was a productive and reliable player for a Wake Forest passing attack that finished sub-100 in EPA per dropback. Fields was one of the bright spots in a disappointing season.

This is my scouting write-up on the wide receiver transfer after watching Wake Forest games against Clemson and Duke.

Horatio Fields played X receiver in Wake Forest’s spread slow mesh scheme. The 6-foot-3 receiver gave his quarterback a big target over the middle on in-breaking routes and showed strong hands by plucking the football out of the air. Uses size well as a blocker and was even utilized some inside the box in Wake’s run schemes. Fields does a good job in contested catch situations on vertical routes by showing his hands late and using his size to his advantage. Contorts his body and walls of defensive backs while also showing above adequate ball tracking. There are some limitations as a runner after the catch.

A big-bodied outside receiver with excellent hands. Can fill the boundary receiver role in Kentucky’s offense. Brings value as a possession receiver in between the hashes and does a terrific job in 50/50 catch situations.