There were three performances that stood out to ISU coach Paul Rhoads after Saturday’s Spring Game.

Strangely enough, two of them came from the wide receiving corps: junior college transfer Aaron Horne and senior Darius Reynolds.

“Aaron Horne stood out today catching the ball and turning up some big plays,” Rhoads said. “Darius Reynolds stood out today, that was exciting for us as he’s missed a few practices this spring – back in full force this last week and did a nice job.”

In Horne’s first action on the turf at Jack Trice Stadium, he grabbed eight passes for 124 yards and a touchdown. Reynolds had five catches for 126 yards and two touchdowns.

It was the 5-foot-9-inch transfer’s performance, though, that drew the most buzz, postgame.

“The only thing about him is he’s kind of light, but he’s pretty elusive, he’s pretty fast,” Reynolds said of his teammate, Horne. “He should be pretty good this season.”

Horne transferred from San Francisco City College where he played with Steele Jantz, who is competing for the Cyclones’ starting quarterback spot. To go along with his 50-yard touchdown reception on a pass from Jantz, he also ran for a 16-yard touchdown on a double reverse in the second quarter.

Coming into the game, Horne was listed as the No. 3 wide receiver, behind senior Darius Darks.

But the 167-pound junior impressed coaches with his play Saturday and may work his way onto the field come September.

“Once they told me they needed progress out of the receivers, I said to myself ‘I’m going to step up, try and become better,'” Horne said. “I know that once the ball touches my hands, I’m going to try and make something happen.”

Horne connected on two passes early on with Jantz — a 15-yard strike and what Rhoads called a 50-yard “bomb” for a touchdown in the second quarter — an indication of what could come from the teammates of two years at San Francisco.

“Steele’s progressing, I’m progressing as a football player,” Horne said. “To make that connection on that field from JUCO, and to be better and still have that connection, it felt real good.”

Jantz is competing with Jerome Tiller for the starting spot as the Cyclones’ quarterback, and like Jantz, Tiller had a friend to connect with on the field Saturday afternoon.

Tiller connected with Reynolds on a 45-yard rainbow pass on the game’s first play from scrimmage, and then the two hooked up on a 40-yard touchdown midway through the second quarter, as well.

“A couple of weeks ago I talked to him … told him to keep his composure,” Reynolds said of Tiller. “Me and him have a pretty good connection.”