By John Del Bianco - 247 Sports
Class of 2020 five-star defensive end
Jordan Burch (Columbia, S.C./Hammond School) has committed to South Carolina.
On Wednesday afternoon the nation’s top uncommitted prospect paired with his hometown school on national television, choosing the Gamecocks over other finalists Alabama, Clemson, Georgia and LSU. The 6-5, 275-pound talent will sign his national letter of intent on Wednesday and will enroll at South Carolina next summer.
An Under Armour All-American, Burch is ranked No. 5 overall, the No. 2 strong-side defensive end and No. 1 prospect in the state of South Carolina, according to the 247Sports Composite.
He becomes the crown jewel of the Gamecocks 2020 signing class. With a 0.9977 247Sports Composite rating, Burch trails only
Jadeveon Clowney (1.0000, Class of 2011) on the list of all-time South Carolina signees. He is the second five-star prospect to sign with the Gamecocks under head coach
Will Muschamp, joining Class of 2019 five-star defensive tackle and No. 8 overall prospect
Zacch Pickens (Anderson, S.C./ T L Hanna).
Burch’s recruitment was one of the most secretive in the nation. The coveted recruit hardly made any news public, elected to not do interviews and there was little knowledge of who would be his choice heading into signing day. Burch officially visited Alabama, LSU and Georgia. He visited the Crimson Tide and Bayou Bengals during the season and visited the Bulldogs last weekend. His last visit to Clemson was this past summer. He did not officially visit with his ultimate choice, but he was a regular visitor to campus in Columbia in the spring, summer and twice over the football season. He received in-home visits from all five head coaches last week.
Burch’s pledge to South Carolina accomplishes a notable feat for the Gamecocks. Muschamp’s program has now signed three of the state’s top four players; Burch (No. 1), Myrtle Beach quarterback
Luke Doty (No. 2) and Conway defensive tackle
Tonka Hemingway (No. 4). Defensive tackle
Alex Huntley, Burch’s Hammond teammate, is the state’s third-ranked prospect and has been committed to the Gamecocks since June 8. He will sign in February.
Other in-state Gamecocks signees include Calhoun County offensive guard
Tyshawn Wannamaker (No. 7), Abbeville center
Trai Jones (No. 9) and Sumter defensive back
O'Donnell Fortune (No. 12). Northwestern wide receiver target
Ger-Cari Caldwell is ranked No. 15 in the Palmetto State. He will wait until February to sign.
247Sports National Recruiting Analyst Charles Power compares Burch to Tennessee Titans 2019 first round draft pick
Jeffery Simmons and believes he too is a future first round talent.
“Possesses a square-shouldered, well-proportioned athletic build. Has a developed lower body and strong base. Should comfortably hit 275 pounds while in college. Is a multi-sport athlete as a longtime AAU basketball player who is talented enough to play hoops at the college level. Dominates on both sides of the ball for a high school football program that wins a state championship every season in South Carolina’s private school league. A flexible, fluid athlete, Burch has the framework to develop into a top pass rusher at the next level. He plays with outstanding bend and leverage, with the ability to dip and run the arc off the edge. Has a high level first step and play speed in pursuit. Doubles as a strong, physical run defender and looks to play with a high effort level. Flashes his considerable athleticism as a running back, moving with high-level explosiveness and fluidity for a prospect of his size. Though he receives outstanding coaching at Hammond, he rarely if ever sees college-level talent on Friday nights. The competition he faces in South Carolina's private school league is quite poor. He looks to be the next up from South Carolina, a state that annually produces top-ranked defensive linemen. Has the potential to develop into an all-league, All-American type player with the upside of a top-10 pick.”
