No. 5 prospect didn’t sign NLI; recruitment open
Jordan Burch, the No. 3 defensive end and No. 5 player overall in the ESPN 300, commits to South Carolina. (1:55)
Five-star defensive end Jordan Burch did not sign his national letter of intent in the early signing period after committing to South Carolina.
Burch was the top-ranked uncommitted prospect when the early signing period started Wednesday, and the fifth-ranked recruit overall chose South Carolina over Alabama, Clemson, Georgia and LSU.
The 6-foot-4, 250-pound defensive end from Hammond School in Columbia, South Carolina, announced his commitment to the Gamecocks on ESPNU Wednesday, but did not sign his national letter of intent within the early signing window that ran from Wednesday to Friday.
That means his next opportunity to sign the paperwork, locking him in to the school, will be when the next signing period starts on the first Wednesday in February.
A source close to South Carolina told ESPN the coaching staff is still feeling confident in keeping Burch committed until February, and that there is a good possibility Burch just wanted to sign his paperwork with the rest of his teammates in February.
According to a different source, Alabama, Georgia and LSU have been in contact with Burch, still trying to recruit him. Had Burch signed his national letter of intent, it would have prevented opposing coaches from communicating with him.
Now, the South Carolina coaches will have to make sure their top-ranked commitment in the 2020 class doesn’t second-guess his commitment and end up choosing a different school come February.