Former South Carolina EDGE Jordan Burch is transferring to Oregon, he announced Wednesday. Burch made 60 tackles, including 7.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks, for the Gamecocks as a junior in 2022 as he began living up to the five-star billing he received as a prospect in the Class of 2020.
Burch was considered the No. 17 overall player in his class coming out of Hammond School in Columbia, South Carolina, and he still ranks as the No. 2 South Carolina signee of the 247Sports era behind only Jadeveon Clowney. Burch played a reserve role as a freshman and sophomore before earning his first start in last year's bowl win for the Gamecocks and taking off from there.
He made major strides in 2022, starting with a breakout performance in a Week 2 loss at Arkansas when he made 10 tackles, including two tackles for loss and a sack. For the season, he graded out as the SEC's 10th-ranked pass rusher from the EDGE rusher slot, according to data from Pro Football Focus.
Burch entered the transfer portal last week after finishing with four tackles in South Carolina's Gator Bowl loss to Notre Dame on Dec. 30. He will have two seasons of eligibility remaining, though he could play his way into NFL Draft consideration with a strong performance at Oregon in 2023.
🏠🖤🦆 pic.twitter.com/9pAcDwDeeL
— Jordan Burch (@JordanB1505) January 11, 2023
How Burch will help Oregon
Oregon finished 10-3 with a 28-27 win in the Holiday Bowl under first-year coach Dan Lanning in 2022, which marked a successful debut campaign for the first-time head coach. But the next step for the Ducks will be improving on defense after they finished the season ranked No. 71 nationally in total defense and No. 102 in yards passing allowed.
The Ducks ranked No. 123 nationally in average number of sacks per game with just 1.38, and Burch should be able to help the unit improve on that mark. Burch will team up with five-star freshman EDGE rusher Matayo Uiagalelei -- the Ducks' highest-ranked commitment in the Class of 2023 -- to help bolster Oregon's pass rush significantly entering next season.
Lanning's ties pay dividends
Lanning was Georgia's defensive coordinator during Burch's initial recruitment, and it appears their longstanding relationship paid dividends. Given Lanning's well-documented track record of sending Georgia defenders on to the NFL, and Oregon's own recent track record at the position, the Ducks wound up as a natural landing spot.
Former Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux was taken No. 5 overall by the New York Giants in the 2022 NFL Draft after a standout career under the previous Ducks staff, and there will be no shortage of opportunities for Burch to shine next season. With pass-happy Ohio State on the schedule as a nonconference opponent for the Ducks in 2023, and plenty of other pass-oriented teams awaiting in Pac-12 play, Burch should have ample opportunity to chase down quarterbacks and become an all Pac-12 type of performer in his new home.
