Jordan Burch hasn’t played one snap yet in a game at South Carolina, but he’s already turning heads three weeks into preseason camp.
The five-star defensive lineman considered a top 20 prospect in the country is a few months into his Carolina experience after enrolling this summer but is already showing his new coach exactly what he can do.
“I know one thing: when he hops off the bus he’s going to be a pretty, pretty ballplayer. He looks good man. He has it all. He’s fast; he’s strong,” Mike Peterson said. “The thing I like the most about him is he’s really coachable. I can get on him.”
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Burch, who Rivals considered the No. 17 player in the class and the top-ranked player in the state, committed to South Carolina in December over schools like LSU, Georgia, Alabama and Clemson before ultimately signing in February.
He’s the third-highest player to commit to South Carolina behind Jadeveon Clowney (No. 1) and Marcus Lattimore (No. 17) and the talent is undeniable.
The biggest thing for Peterson, though, is his ability to accept critiquing and thrive off being coached hard.
“A lot of times those highly recruited guys they come in and haven’t been coached in high school or the coaches haven’t really haven’t got on him,” Peterson said. “I’m able to get on him just like I can get on the rest of the guys and he accepts it. He excels when I get on him a little more.”
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Listed at 6-foot-6, 275 pounds, Burch was thrust this offseason into the competition at South Carolina’s BUCK spot where he’ll primarily rush the passer.
It’s up to Peterson now to get him ready over the next few weeks to make sure he’s ready to contribute against Tennessee.
“I’m thrilled about him. He’s out there running around,” he said. “Right now my job is to shorten the learning curve for him and get him ready to play on Saturdays to help us.”
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The biggest issue for every freshman—not just Burch—is getting the game to slow down for them, and it’s no different than any other year.
The Gamecocks have a bevy of young players at the BUCK and defensive end spots that includes Burch, Gilber Edmund, Joe Anderson, Tonka Hemingway and Rodricus Fitten.
“It’s always the speed of the game; the speed of the game and the learning part of it to learn the terminology. That’s every level,” Peterson said. “Going from high school to college it’s going to be the speed of the game. Then, when you go from college to the NFL, it’s even faster. Just slowing the game down for him and play within the scheme.”
