There is a ton of star power on the Oregon Ducks roster going into the 2024 season, but a few players stand apart as the most important potential difference-makers of the bunch.
Players like Dillon Gabriel, Jordan James, Tez Johnson, and Terrance Ferguson may be those guys on the offensive side of the ball. But on defense? There are few players more critical to Oregon’s success than defensive end Jordan Burch.
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The former South Carolina transfer had a good season in 2023 for the Ducks with 34 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, and 3 sacks. But with his size and talent, there is a belief that he could be among the best players in the nation if he takes another step forward in his development.
That’s why The Athletic highlighted Burch as one of their most important non-quarterbacks in the nation this season.
Burch, a former five-star recruit who began his career at South Carolina, is a good player. Can he become a great one? At No. 10 on this year’s Freaks List, he’s an incredible athlete. The 6-5, 295-pound senior improved his vertical jump to 35 inches and hit 20.75 mph on the GPS this offseason. In 2023, Burch had 7.5 TFLs and three sacks alongside his 34 tackles and 27 QB pressures. Oregon coach Dan Lanning told me Burch has put on 13 pounds of muscle this offseason: “He’s different and is playing to attributes.” That might be enough to help the Ducks make a national title run.
There are many other players on the Ducks’ defense — Jeffrey Bassa, Jamaree Caldwell, Jabbar Muhamad, Kobe Savage, etc. — who will undoubtedly play a large role in the outcome of the season. But if Burch can have the season of his career, then Oregon’s defense will be formidable this fall.
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