Georgia Football: Getting to know new commit Jamil Burroughs

Georgia Football got a commitment from defensive tackle Jamil Burroughs yesterday and he looks like a natural fit in Kirby Smarts defense.

Georgia Football got a big commitment from Jamil Burroughs yesterday. Burroughs is one of the top-ranked defensive tackles in the 2020 class and he’s a player that Georgia fans are going to like seeing in Athens. Last year he was only a sophomore, but he made a big impact on his team and it’s clear that he’s got room to grow.

It’s worth remembering that the highlights you see are of a 16-year-old. This is a kid who was still in his sophomore in high school and has two more years to get better. He’s already got the size that Georgia fans have been looking for in their defensive tackles. It’s not hard to imagine that he’ll be coming into the program at around 6ft4 and 320lbs.

A lot of people are going to look at Burroughs and think that he’s a nose tackle. That’s not surprising when you consider he’s already over 300lbs and looks like he could step into that role today. However, I think that’s underplaying his strengths. Burroughs has the ability to stuff the run, but he’s so much more than that.

What’s most exciting about Burroughs’ highlights is his versatility. Even as a sophomore, he’s playing all over the defensive line and making an impact wherever he goes. He shows a natural knack for rushing the passer as well as a nose for the football. The reason for that is that he possesses an impressive amount of explosive ability for a man of his size. That sort of talent is something that Kirby Smart and Tray Scott will love.

Burroughs plays at the same high school that produced Julian Rochester and I think they’re relatively similar players. Rochester will likely be the starting nose tackle this season, but he’s not much more than 300lbs. I actually think Burroughs might lose some weight once he arrives in Athens and Scott Sinclair gets to work on him. Rochester does have the ability to rush the passer. We’ve seen him do so since arriving in Athens and hopefully, he should do so again in 2018.

I can see Burroughs being a very versatile player who moves all along the defensive line. A lot of that will depend on how he grows as a player over the next few years. If he continues to get better at rushing the passer, he could play the 3-technique at times and that would be a difficult proposition for offensive linemen.

With two years left in high school, he’s still got a long way to go before we know exactly the kind of player that Burroughs will be when he arrives in Athens. However, the raw tools are really exciting and he should be a guy that becomes a key part of the 2020 class. He’s certainly someone for fans to keep an eye on this high school season and he continues to develop.