- July 15, 2025
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The wide receiver room at Booker High School couldn’t be more crowded if it were five offensive linemen crammed into a broom closet.
The Tornadoes had five pass-catchers who racked up at least 300 yards and six touchdowns each last season, yet Tyren Wortham found a way to shine above the rest.
Wortham, a 6-foot-1, 180-pound rising senior, is determined to play in the NFL one day.
“I told him, ‘Hey man, the sky is the limit,’” said Booker Head Coach Carlos Woods, who was an assistant coach with the Indianapolis Colts from 2006 to 08. “You continue to ascend the way that you are and you stay healthy, God willing, you have a shot to play on Sundays.”
Before Wortham can play on Sundays, however, he’s had to figure out where he will play on Saturdays, a process that led him to flip a commitment to the University of Central Florida to Michigan State on June 22.
Wortham transferred to Booker from Southeast High — where his father, Faron Hornes, a wide receiver at Butler Community College and the University of South Florida, played in high school — as a 162-pound sophomore and told the Tornadoes coaching staff he wanted to bulk up to 190 pounds.
He’s now just 10 pounds away from that goal, but it’s his growth as a receiver that has most impressed Woods.
After beginning his career as a “fade guy,” which is a deep sideline route, Wortham has developed into a complete receiver who runs a full route tree, Woods said.
“There are teams who were interested in having him in the slot, so we’ve been able to move him around and give him jet sweeps and elevate his game to the next level,” Woods said. “He’s a very dynamic player.”
Along with gaining weight and learning routes, Wortham has overcome injury. He suffered a hairline fracture five games into his sophomore season, which he said affected his recruitment.
Despite that setback, he still received his first Division-I offer the summer after his sophomore year from East Carolina University, which motivated him to earn more this past fall.
He finished last season with 67 receptions for 1,360 yards (seventh in Florida) and 17 touchdowns to help lead Booker to a regional championship.
Wortham has received 27 scholarship offers since the end of his junior season, including offers from Georgia, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Arizona, Iowa, Kansas State, and the school he initially committed to, UCF.
Sifting through those offers — now up to 33 including six offers prior to this past season — hasn’t been easy.
Wortham has gone on visits to UCF, Georgia, Kansas State and Michigan State this summer. His favorite part of the visits has been the photoshoots, with his favorite pose being the “Ryan Williams pose,” with two arms behind his back and his head tilted to the side.
The more stressful aspect has been tallying up the pros and cons of each school.
When it came to Michigan State, Wortham found he had too many pros to say no.
“Michigan State was very fun,” Wortham said. “I had a good connection with the players and the coaches. It’s a family out there, and it felt different to me. I felt like a priority there.”
Wortham, the No. 68 receiver in the nation and No. 55 recruit in Florida, is the Spartans’ third highest rated commit for the Class of 2026, which is ranked as the No. 31 class in Division-I football by 247 Sports.
Before Wortham has to worry about adjusting from the heat of Sarasota to the snow of East Lansing, he still has time left at Booker.
He said he wants to score 20 to 25 touchdowns this season and help lead Booker to its first state championship.
“He runs through arm tackles, he runs through two to three guys trying to angle tackle him, he’s outrunning guys,” Woods said. “It’s great to see the fruits of his labor from everything he’s put into this program.”
