Recruit Snapshot: Jordan Burns
Modern football demands versatility from defenses and defensive players to keep up with modern offensive schemes. At the high school and college levels, those schemes can vary as widely as seeing a triple option team one week, a spread offense the next, and a more traditional pro style offense the Week after that. Each of these offenses puts vastly different demands on a defense, a defense that has to use the same pool of players each week to defend those schemes. As such, players that can fill multiple roles are prized for what they bring to the table. This is the case for four star PACE Academy (Atlanta, GA) linebacker and Class of 2024 Tennessee commit, Jordan Burns.
An Exceptional Athlete
There is more to being an effective linebacker than being a great athlete, but being a great athlete sure helps. Burns is a 6’2” and 225 pound linebacker that has the speed to get anywhere on the field to make an impact. Able to be effective at all three levels of the defense, Burns already possesses all the traits to be an every down linebacker in the SEC, in pretty much any defensive alignment he is asked to plug into. Burns can drop and cover, and cover as well as some Power Five safeties, get sideline to sideline to make tackles, has the physical strength to take on, move, and scrape off of blockers, and shows an outstanding burst as a blitzer to get into the offensive backfield. All the measurable for an ideal, modern day, SEC linebacker are there, size, speed, and strength are all present with Burns in spades, however there is more to this equation.
Technique and Timing
When Jordan Burns gets his hands on a ball carrier, that play is over. Period. When Burns is in position to make a tackle, he makes it. That may sound like a common thing to say, but turn on any college game on Saturday or watch a local high school game on Friday nights, and you will see that fundamental tackling is a dying art. Burns is one of the players keeping that tradition alive. Burns squares up, wraps up, and drives. The play ends as he contacts the ball carrier, because once his hands are on you, you are going down. That kind of technique makes Burns a solid rock you can out in the middle of a defense, but that skill is multiplied when factoring his timing in.
Burns’ ability to time up blitzes is elite. He factors in the snap count, what film has told told him, and the situation the offense is in. Burns timed up three blitzes to absolute perfection in the game against Woodland Academy. One resulted in a sack as he came free off the side, the offensive tackle unable to even get a hand on him. One was straight up the A Gap where he nearly took the handoff from the quarterback, and resulted in a 6 yard loss. The most impressive was early in the game, when Burns timed up another A Gap blitz on Woodland when they were at their own two yard line. Burns got to the quarterback about the same time the snap did, and resulted in a safety to start the scoring for the Knights. The ability to time blitzes that well is an art that requires enormous preparation and practice, but Burns has mastered it at his current lelevel.
Likes To Get Dirty
Burns is a great athlete, technically sound, and a student of the game. His intelligence, preparation, timing, and instincts help him get the most out of those talents. Do not make the mistake of thinking Burns is a finesse linebacker however. Burns is a two way player for the Knights, but his offensive position explains a lot about his game. Burns is the starting fullback on offense, a position that requires toughness, grit, and a willingness to initiate contact. That desire to create contact, literally get down in the mud, and do the dirty, unnoticed work to allow his teammates to succeed translates to how Burns plays the linebacker position. He fights through blocks and holds, is eager to deliver a blow, and doesn’t shy away from tackling large ball carriers. His unselfishness and intelligence combine to see him know when to take on blockers to allow other defensive teammates to make a play, which he does without hesitation.
What More Could You Want?
Jordan Burns is a complete, every down linebacker, that has a home in any defensive scheme in college football. He is committed to Tennessee, where the Vols tend to run a base defense that puts a lot of pressure on a pair of linebackers to do.it all. Burns seems to be a perfect fit with his coverage, blitzing, and run stopping skills. Despite Tennessee adding multiple quality linebackers in the 2022, 2023, and currently committed in the 2024 classes, Burns looks primed to make an early impact in Knoxville. Like fellow 2024 Tennessee linebacker commit Edwin Spillman, Burns looks to be a perfect match for what these Vols want in a linebacker. The work ethic that Burns brings means linebacker coach Brian Jean-Marie has another do-it-all chess piece joining his linebacking corps.
