UGA football added a ton of talent to its receiving corps in the 2020 recruiting class. One of those new talents is Jermaine Burton.
The last thing UGA football opponents wanted was for the Bulldogs to sign another bully-style wide receiver. But that’s what Georgia did in the 2020 class by bringing in Jermaine Burton, the No. 15 wide receiver in the 2020 class and the No. 81 player overall according to the 247Sports Composite.
The imposing, physical play of George Pickens was already a lot to deal with. Adding another player with that style makes Georgia’s receiving corps one of the toughest and meanest in the nation.
Burton, a four-star prospect from Calabasas, Cal. was a surprise addition to Georgia’s class. He was an LSU commit for eight months before flipping his commitment during the early signing period. The announcement generated a lot of cheers and excitement from the Bulldog Nation and just as many sighs and groans from opposing fanbases.
Burton plays with a mountain on his shoulder. He loves contact and he is strong for a young wide receiver. That really shows up against press coverage and while blocking on screens and rushing players.
Burton is a good route runner with equally good speed to get open behind defenses, but he’s at his best over the middle. Because Burton is so physical, he’s not a guy who’s going to drop passes because he “hears footsteps.” He’s going to make the catch and possibly even scrap for some yards after.
With established players occupying the three, main wide receiver roles, don’t expect Burton to start many games this season, but he will have no problem seeing the field. Burton is in head coach Kirby Smart’s wheelhouse for receivers. He is going to play early and often this season with the potential to earn some Freshman All-SEC selections,