Why Will Muschamp still can’t talk about Jordan Burch
Five-star defensive lineman Jordan Burch is the undisputed crown jewel of South Carolina’s 2020 recruiting class. Coach Will Muschamp just can’t talk about him yet.
Burch, the No. 8 player in the country according to the 247Sports composite rankings, has yet to send in his signed letter of intent to USC, and NCAA rules prohibit coaches from publicly commenting on recruits until they’ve officially signed and joined the program.
Burch participated in his Hammond School signing ceremony on Wednesday, National Signing Day, alongside high school teammate and fellow Gamecock commit Alex Huntley.
But as is often the case in signing day ceremonies nowadays, the piece of paper Burch sat down and signed in front of the cameras wasn’t actually his letter of intent. That’s commonly done before or after the ceremony and then faxed to the school. Only then can the program publicly acknowledge the signee.
And in yet another twist in a recruitment full of secrecy and speculation, Burch once again skipped interviews after the ceremony, and his mother declined to say whether he had signed his LOI. The Post and Courier reported that Burch briefly indicated he had, but Hammond coach Erik Kimrey said he was unsure if he had or not.
As of Muschamp’s 4:30 p.m. press conference Wednesday, the program has yet to acknowledge Burch, meaning he hasn’t sent in his letter of intent. Huntley was officially recognized by USC after his ceremony Wednesday and Muschamp spoke on him during his press conference.
When asked generally about whether he had any concern about unsigned commitments, Muschamp said he did not, and when asked what some of the reasons might be for a player to not sign, Muschamp said those questions should be directed to the prospect.
Burch already surprised some when he announced his commitment during the early signing period but did not sign, saying he wanted to wait to do so with his friends and teammates. Since then, he took an unofficial visit to LSU, which he said finished No. 2 in the race for his pledge, and an official visit to USC.
On Wednesday, he sported a Gamecocks hat and talked about getting to play with his friends, gesturing to his high school teammates and Gamecock commits. But until he officially signs, opposing schools are allowed to maintain contact with him.
Burch is South Carolina’s second highest-rated recruit ever behind Jadeveon Clowney, who also delayed signing with USC back in 2011, waiting until his birthday on Feb. 14. While the early signing period gave athletes a brief window from Dec. 16 to 19 to sign, Burch now doesn’t have to sign until April 1.
This story was originally published February 5, 2020 at 4:41 PM.
