COLUMBIA, S.C. — Hammond School’s Jordan Burch, one of the top high school football prospects in America, has decided to play college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks.
Burch made his announcement at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Hammond gym. As soon as he put on the baseball cap with the USC logo, the crowd who gathered erupted in cheers.
South Carolina Gamecocks Coach Will Muschamp tweeted "Spurs Up," the Gamecock motto that means a recruit has signed with team, moments after the decision was made. Burch also made the spurs up hand gesture at the news conference as soon as he made his decision.
He's the highest-ranked recruit for the Gamecocks since Jadeveon Clowney.
Burch is a five-star prospect who’s expected to play defensive end in college. He’s either one of the top five or top 10 prospects in America, depending on which recruiting service you look at. Simply put, he’s considered very good.
And here’s why: recruiters say Birch, who’s listed at 6 feet, 6 inches tall and 255 pounds, already had the body size and quickness to play in the SEC on day one. This year, he was instrumental in Hammond winning their third straight state championship.
That makes him heavily in demand, as USC, Clemson, LSU, Alabama, and Georgia were all in the running.
Unlike most of the other top recruits, Burch played it close to the vest about what his choice was.
Wednesday is early National Signing Day, where recruits are sending in their national letters of intent to schools to officially say they will play for that team. Before that letter comes in, all pledges and commitments are just words that can be backed out of.
For what it’s worth, Burch played alongside Gamecocks coach Will Muschamp’s son at Hammond. Signing Burch capped a day for the Gamecocks that saw them sign MarShawn Lloyd, one of the top running backs in America, and Luke Doty, the reigning South Carolina Mr. Football.