Hometown 5-star Jordan Burch reaffirms commitment to Gamecocks, but not signed yet
Jordan Burch looks like he will be a Gamecock, but hours after his future coach spoke publicly about the recruiting class, it hadn’t happened yet.
The Hammond defensive end and five-star prospect affirmed his choice to sign with South Carolina on Wednesday on the first day of the February signing period. He sported a Gamecocks hat and his placard had a USC logo on it at a ceremony at Hammond School, but USC had not officially released announced his signing as of around 6:45 p.m.
USC announced the signing of Burch’s high school teammate, Alex Huntley, around 3 p.m. Coach Will Muschamp couldn’t mention Burch during his press conference, which began at 4:30 p.m. Muschamp mentioned the four signees but not Burch.
“We obviously have one left,” said Muschamp, who added he wasn’t overly concerned about any outstanding commitments not signing yet.
Burch didn’t answer questions from media members, only saying he signed his letter of intent to the school. He did do a short speech where he thanked coaches, teammates and administration. Burch later left Hammond’s Fawcet Gymnasium wearing a Gamecocks polo and hat.
”It’s been a wild ride,” Burch said during the speech.
In December, Hammond coach Erik Kimrey called Burch’s approach and handling of his recruitment “refreshing” and said the same again Wednesday.
“Sometimes the media stirs up a little drama when there is a lack of information for them. For us, it was great,” Kimrey said. “We wish all these guys nothing but the best.”
Burch verbally committed to South Carolina on Dec. 18 but didn’t sign his letter of intent then. He said at Under Armour All-Star game that he wanted to sign with his Hammond teammates which included Huntley, Saul Diaz, Jackson Muschamp, Bradley Dunn and Fabian Goodman. Huntley signed with USC while Dunn and Goodman are walking on with USC.
“For the next three or four years, I’ll be with my friends,” Burch said during his speech.
An unofficial visit to LSU
Burch’s recruitment has been one of the more unique ones in the state over the past several years. The 6-5, 275-pound senior committed to South Carolina on Dec. 17 but didn’t sign during the early signing period. He opted to sign with Hammond teammates Huntley and Georgia walk-on Jackson Muschamp, son of coach Muschamp, on Wednesday, the traditional National Signing Day.
Unlike the early signing period where athletes had from Dec. 17-19 to sign, Burch now has until April 1. It is unclear what the hold up is for Burch. A dead period is in effect until Feb. 29 and coaches aren’t allowed to contact prospective recruits.
Speculation about where Burch would ultimately sign was heightened when he made an unofficial visit to LSU, the national champions, two weeks ago.
But USC closed strong and sent seven assistant coaches and three current players to Burch’s basketball game Friday night at Heathwood Hall. He took his official visit to South Carolina this past weekend and sat with coach Muschamp behind the USC bench for Saturday’s basketball game against Missouri.
Gamecock fans began chants of “We want Jordan! We want Jordan!” during the game, similar to when USC fans chanted “We want Zion” when the Gamecocks were recruiting basketball star Zion Williamson, who played at Duke and is now with the NBA’s Pelicans, a few years ago.
Jordan Burch would be top of USC’s 2020 class
Burch could be one the crown jewels of the USC 2020 signing class that includes four-star running back MarShawn Lloyd and four-star quarterback Luke Doty.
If Burch signs with USC, he will be the highest-ranked prospect to sign with Gamecocks football since Jadeveon Clowney in 2011, when he was the top-ranked prospect in the country, according to 247Sports.
Burch is ranked No. 8 by 247Sports composite, which factors in various rankings services. It is the eighth time since 2000 that the Gamecocks could secure the top in-state prospect.
247Sports’ Charles Power compared Burch to San Diego defensive end Joey Bosa, while the site’s Steve Wiltfong compared him to Jeffrey Simmons, who played at Mississippi State and is now with the Tennessee Titans.
Burch had a strong showing in last month’s Under Armour All-Star game against some of the top prospects in the country.
“He is a guy who is multiple and could have played all 22 positions at Hammond,” Wiltfong told The State in December. “He is a top-10 guy. And those guys, they have the whole bag. They have flexibility, body control, power and stout at the point of attack. You hope he blossoms to the first-round pick we think he was. We think he is that good.”
Burch played his freshman season at Wilson in Florence before moving to Columbia and attending Hammond during the summer before his sophomore year. He was part of three SCISA Class 3A championship teams and helped bring unprecedented notoriety to the already-storied program.
This season, Burch led the team in sacks and accounted for more than 20 touchdowns this season. He had two touchdown runs in the championship game.
South Carolina’s Wednesday signees
LB Gilber Edmond, 6-foot-4, 215 pounds, Fort Pierce, Fla. (Westwood)
RB ZaQuandre White, 6-foot-1, 200 pounds, Cape Coral, Fla. (North Fort Myers/ Iowa Western C.C.)
DL Alex Huntley, 6-foot-3, 279 pounds, Blythewood, S.C. (Hammond School)
WR Ger-Cari Caldwell, 6-foot-4, 195 pounds, Rock Hill, S.C. (Northwestern)
This story was originally published February 5, 2020 at 1:23 PM.
