Jordan Burns Signs With Tennessee
Early national signing day is upon us, and the Tennessee Volunteers are hoping to finish strong. They've recruited at a high rate under head coach Josh Heupel and brought in some major difference-makers in their 2023 signing class. Volunteer Country will provide readers with an in-depth breakdown of each signee.
Inside linebacker Jordan Burns is the fifth commit to turn in their national letter of intent. He is the No. 396 player in the cycle, according to 247Sports Composite Rankings. Take a look at what the Vols are getting.
Prospect: Jordan Burns
Projected Position: Inside Linebacker
Vitals: 6-1.5 and 220 pounds
School: Pace Academy (Atlanta, Georgia)
Frame: Burns might be reaching his physical ceiling, but it's already enough to play in the SEC. He fills out 220 pounds well and has the size and length to be an every-down player. The best part about Burns's frame is how he uses it. He knows he's bigger and stronger than everyone else on the field and uses his tools to block up blockers, fill run gaps, and play passing alleys.
Athleticism: This is a point-A to point-B linebacker and a really good one. When Burns can read his keys and zero in on the ball carrier, he likes he got shot out of a cannon. The acceleration is first-class, and he is violent at the point of contact. Has played in open space but must adjust to the physical demands of playing in the middle of the field in college. Burns lines up as a 9-technique a lot for Pace Academy, but the size limitations won't let him play edge rusher in college, meaning he shifts over to inside linebacker.
Instincts: Processing speed is a question entering college, not because he doesn't have a high football acumen, but because he will be playing a different position. The tape says this is a high-level processor that sifts through trash at the line of scrimmage quickly and finds where he must be.
Polish: Refined on the physical and athletic side. The tape suggests he eventually becomes a high-level contributor in an inside linebacker room that needs one, but forecasting anything early on in his career would be mere projection, as he still needs more time playing in the middle of the field. Will be curious to see if Pace Academy decides to use him as an inside linebacker this year to prepare him for the college world.
Bottom Line: Perhaps the most underrated commit thus far for Tennessee. I'd expect his ranking to jump significantly between now and the time his senior season closes, as people will begin to pick up on how Burns plays. He clearly has a joy for football, a high motor, and enjoys studying the game. It helps that he's carrying an SEC frame at 17 years old.
2024 4-star ILB Jordan Burns during his official visit to Tennessee. (Photo courtesy of Jordan Burns)
Tennessee's 2024 Recruiting Class - * denotes NLI turned in
- Jake Merklinger, QB
- Peyton Lewis, RB *
- Mike Matthews, WR
- Braylon Harmon, WR
- Braylon Staley, WR
- Cole Harrison, TE
- Bennett Warren, OT
- Jesse Perry, OT
- Gage Ginther, OT
- William Satterwhite, OG
- Max Anderson, OG *
- Kellen Lindstrom, DE
- Carson Gentle, DE *
- Jeremias Heard, DL *
- Jordan Ross, EDGE
- Edwin Spillman, ILB
- Jordan Burns, ILB *
- Marcus Goree, DB
- Kaleb Beasley, CB
- Boo Carter, S
- Edrees Farooq, S
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