Ranking the Contenders: Jager Burton
Four-star offensive guard Jager Burton had his game plan for official visits set back in February. Then, the coronavirus pandemic hit. The resulting dead period wiped out several official and unofficial visits Burton already had in the books. That has pushed back his planned commitment date, which was previously scheduled for Aug. 24, into his senior year. Burton is determined to take his official visits, and at this point the same five schools he originally said would receive visits are still holding on to those five spots.
MORE RANKING THE CONTENDERS: Terrance Ferguson | Jaeden Roberts
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022: Top 100
MORE: Rivals Transfer Tracker
*****
*****
1. KENTUCKY
in whatever order Burton takes his official visits, Kentucky has been guaranteed the last trip. Burton lives in Lexington, has grown up around the program and the Wildcats made him a priority early in the recruiting process. After repeated visits, including one to see a spring practice in early March just before the shutdown hit, Burton already feels like part of the team and has connections throughout the roster. Those connections were augmented earlier this month when his teammate and frequent visit partner, four-star wide receiver Dekel Crowdus, committed to the hometown school.
2. OHIO STATE
When visits do resume, Ohio State is expected to receive Burton’s first trip. The coronavirus shutdown affected the Buckeyes most because they already had a late-March spring practice visit and early-April official visit scheduled with Burton. Those visits should have given Ohio State good momentum heading into the stretch run of this recruitment, but now the game plan has to be reconfigured and the Buckeyes will have to generate a new wave of momentum. They can still get this done, but it will be harder than if the original plan had been allowed to go forward.
*****
3. CLEMSON
Clemson has all the confidence in the world that they can go into Kentucky’s backyard and steal a top offensive line prospect, because the Tigers just did it in the 2020 class with four-star offensive tackle Walker Parks. Not only are Parks and Burton teammates, but they are close friends going back more than a decade. That connection will play a significant factor in the their pursuit of Burton, who also is attracted to the strong Christian faith of head coach Dabo Swinney and how that faith permeates the Clemson program.
4. ALABAMA
Alabama and Oregon are the other two schools Burton has lined up for official visits. I am only including Alabama in this ranking, though. Oregon was a team Burton dreamed about playing for growing up and he has visited Eugene in the past, but I do not see the Ducks being able to overcome the other schools on this list. Alabama, though, has a shot. Seeing a former Lexington kid in Jedrick Wills be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft out of Alabama does not go unnoticed. Other teams in this race respect Alabama’s chances here, and I do, too.