Tag: jordan burch

Oregon Ducks star Jordan Burch ‘uncertain’ for Week 7 showdown vs. Ohio State Buckeyes

Jordan Burch’s status is up in the air for Saturday vs. Ohio State with a knee injury.

The No. 3 Oregon Ducks are heading into their biggest game of the season later today against the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes, and they may have to do it without one of the best players on their roster.

According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, and confirmed by sources of my own, defensive end Jordan Burch is uncertain to be able to play on Saturday night after suffering a “lower-body injury” in practice on Thursday during practice.

I am told that Burch suffered a knee injury that could potentially hold him out for 4-6 weeks. There is a chance that the Ducks test him out pregame on Saturday and push him to play against Ohio State in this first-ever top-five showdown in Autzen Stadium.

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However, with the new 12-team College Football Playoff, a loss in this game does not hurt Oregon’s postseason chances as much as it would have in years past. That thought is playing a factor, I’m told, in whether or not they push Burch to play to a point where he could potentially worsen the injury.

The official Availability Report will be released by the school at 2:30 p.m. PT, two hours before kickoff. On that, Burch will either be listed as “out” or “questionable,” if he is listed at all.

Either way, it’s clear that the Ducks’ No. 1 defender, who has a career-high five sacks already this year, is dealing with an injury that could limit him on Saturday if he is to play at all.

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Jordan James earns Ducks Wire Player of the Game with stunning rushing performance

Jordan James was masterful against Michigan State on Friday night, with a career-high in rushing yards.

The Oregon Ducks picked a spectacular 31-10 win against the Michigan State Spartans on Friday night, but it certainly wasn’t mistake-free. Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel threw two goalline interceptions, and the Ducks secondary got beat deep a few times — although they weren’t punished.

But in a game where Oregon’s passing offense and over-the-top coverage were shaky, running back Jordan James stepped up and played a perfect game, leading the offensive unit for 60 minutes. James’s spectacular performance earns him the Ducks Wire Player of the Game.

James, a true junior from Tennessee, got going early against Michigan State, rushing for 41 yards on the first play of Oregon’s second drive of the game. It was Oregon’s longest rush of the season, but it was the first of many for James on Friday night. He finished the night with 24 carries, for 166 yards and a TD.

What makes James so good is his efficiency in running the ball. Last season, as the Ducks’ frequently-used backup RB, James averaged 7.1 yards per carry — the most in the Pac-12. This season, with much more volume, James is averaging 6.2 yards per carry. Tonight, he averaged 6.9.

James’ Week 6 performance brought some national attention to his talent, and he threw himself into the Doak Walker Award (given to the nation’s best RB) conversation. If not for Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, James may be at the top.

If James hadn’t played an inhuman game, the Player of the Game award certainly would’ve gone to Jordan Burch. The senior defensive end played by far his best game as a Duck, with 4 tackles and 2.5 sacks. And with the way he clogged up the run game, plus the constant pressure he put on MSU QB Aidan Chiles, Burch’s presence was felt plenty on the plays where he didn’t make the tackle.

The Oregon Ducks were glad to have the Jordans.

Jordan Burch named among most important players in 2024 college football season

Jordan Burch is being highlighted as a massive difference-maker in 2024.

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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Oregon DE Jordan Burch to return to Eugene for 2024 season

Oregon Ducks edge rusher Jordan Burch will return to Eugene for the 2024 season, pushing his NFL career off for a year.

Oregon Ducks’ edge rusher Jordan Burch gave fans a late Christmas present on Saturday, with the news coming out that he would return to Eugene for the 2024 season.

There was a lot of speculation as to whether or not Burch would return for head off to the NFL to test the draft waters, and a wordless Instagram post featuring pictures of Burch smiling alongside head coach Dan Lanning led to speculation. The veteran EDGE cleared things up, though, and has since made it known that he wants to help lead the team into its Big Ten era.

Burch had a great 2023 season with the Ducks, notching 33 tackles, 7.5 for loss and three sacks after coming over from South Carolina as a transfer.

When he came out of Columbia, SC, Burch was a consensus five-star recruit and the highest recruit to commit to the Gamecocks since Jadaveon Clowney. Burch didn’t disappoint as he came into his own in his sophomore season at South Carolina, finishing his first year as a full-time starter with 60 tackles (32 solo), 7.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.

In the 2024 NFL Draft, Burch was expected to be a mid-round draft selection with high upside based on his picturesque frame for a pass-rusher, standing at 6-foot-6, 270 pounds. Based on his return, it’s pretty clear that he believes one more year at the collegiate level working under Dan Lanning could help boost his draft stock going forward.

With the loss of Brandon Dorlus this offseason, getting Burch back on the defensive line is a massive win for the Ducks, who had a trio of freshmen edge rushers that came on in 2023 and should only get better going forward.

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2024 Edge Rusher Outlook: Ducks stand strong behind trio of young studs

The Ducks had a trio of true-freshmen edge rushers stand out in 2023, and if Jordan Burch returns, that unit could be dominant in 2024.

The 2023 season is now behind us, and while there is still a bowl game to be played — The Fiesta Bowl vs. The Liberty Flames — Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks are working hard on the construction of their roster and hitting the transfer portal in attempts to formulate what this team will look like going into the 2024 season, the team’s first year in the Big Ten Conference. While they work on bringing new players in via the transfer portal, we want to look at the future breakdown of each position, detailing current players on the roster, incoming recruits, and potential targets on the market right now.

So far this offseason, we’ve broken down the future of the Quarterbacks, Running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, offensive line, cornerbacks, and defensive line. Now let’s focus on the edge rushers.

While there are some gaps on the Oregon Ducks 2024 interior defensive line, there is a stable of rushers on the edge ready to charge at opposing quarterbacks next season. The Ducks are hoping to return veteran transfer Jordan Burch for his second season in Eugene, as well as the trio of highly productive freshmen in 2023 — Matayo Uiagalelei, Blake Purchase, and Teitum Tuioti.

The biggest thing that made Oregon’s defense better this year than they were in 2022 was their premier pass-rushing unit, led by Brandon Dorlus, Burch, and Uiagalelei. With how many returning Ducks — and new Ducks — there are at outside linebacker and defensive end, Oregon looks like they’ll be able to get to opposing quarterbacks with consistency again in 2024.

Below, is the full preview of the Oregon Ducks’ 2024 edge rushers.

Predicting which Oregon Ducks will declare for 2024 NFL Draft or return to Eugene

A look at which members of the Oregon Ducks might declare for the 2024 NFL Draft or choose to return to Eugene for another season.

We are in the part of the season where rosters are in flux as players either choose to jump into the transfer portal or make decisions about whether or not they want to return for one more year of school instead of testing the NFL Draft waters.

That is certainly the case for the Oregon Ducks, where a number of highly impactful starters have some important decision to make. Some guys, like Bo Nix, Evan Williams, Popo Aumavae, and several other have run out of college eligibility, but others can choose whether or not they want to join Dan Lanning in the Big Ten or head to the next level.

Over the next month and a half, we will get a lot more clarity on this front. The deadline for underclassmen to declare for the draft is on January 15, 2024, so we will know more about players like Troy Franklin, Jordan Burch, and Bucky Irving before then.

Until then, we can make some predictions and guesses as to what the future might hold for those players.

Stock Report: Dontae Manning steps up, while Jordan Burch puts on a clinic

The Oregon Ducks’ defense had a great showing in a 31-7 blowout win over the Oregon State Beavers on Friday.

The end of the regular season as come, and if you’re someone who had stock in the Oregon Ducks from the start of the year, then your portfolio is likely looking pretty great right about now.

For the most part, we’ve seen a lot of stocks on the rise, and only a couple that have fallen off from the start of the year. That was the trend once again on Friday night with the Ducks’ 31-7 win over the Oregon State Beavers, clinching a spot in the Pac-12 Championship Game against the Washington Huskies.

It was another great showing from Bo Nix and the Oregon offense, while the Ducks’ defensive line had one of the best games of the year, holding the Beavers’ vaunted rushing attack to just 53 yards on the ground. Here are some of the biggest stock risers and fallers from Friday’s game:

Keys to Victory for the Oregon Ducks against the Washington Huskies

Keys to Victory for the Oregon Ducks against the Washington Huskies

We’re just a day away from the most important Oregon Ducks’ game in recent memory. On Saturday, The No. 8 Ducks will face off against the No. 7 Washington Huskies in Seattle. Last season, the Huskies upset the Ducks in Eugene 37-34, and on the road this weekend Oregon will look to exact revenge.

The Ducks are 2.5-point underdogs in this game, which is about as close as betting lines get. This matchup will feature two of the best QBs and offenses in the country. Oregon should have the edge defensively, but overall, this is a pretty deadlocked matchup.

In order for the Ducks to win this game, they will need to do a multitude of things, but below I’ve distilled the three things I think will be most important to an Oregon victory.

Hot Start

The Huskies’ greatest strength is their offense, so it will be paramount for Bo Nix and the Ducks’ offense to come out hot to try to expose their defense. If they don’t, it could give the Huskies’ defense momentum, which could create a hole that it will be tough for Oregon to crawl out of. A first-drive touchdown would be massive. Perhaps, a Bo Nix to Troy Franklin deep connection.

Pressure Penix

Michael Penix Jr. is the catalyst of the Huskies’ offense, and one of the reasons for his dominance this year has been how well Washington’s O-line has protected him. Jordan Burch, Brandon Dorlus, Evan Williams, and Matayo Uigalalei have all proven to be elite pass rushers this season, but this game will be their toughest and most important.

Develop the run game

I’ve said this a lot this week, but if there is one thing we learned from the Oregon v. Stanford game, it is that when the Ducks run game isn’t on, the rest of the offense struggles. Washington doesn’t have the best run defense, which provides a good environment to give Bucky Irving and Jordan James a heavy dose of the football. Also, if those RBs get cooking early, it will bring the Huskies’ safeties up closer to the box, and open up the passing attack.

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Stock Report: Jordan Burch officially arrives, while Troy Franklin makes another statement

Evan Williams and Jordan Burch are dominating on defense, while Troy Franklin continues to impress. Our stock report for Week 5.

Over the last several weeks, our stock reports for the Oregon Ducks have gotten a little bit chummy, to be completely honest.

It’s hard to knock these players for much when they are winning games by an average of 39.8 points per game and are 5-0 on the season for the first time since 2013.

While we normally set out in a stock report article to highlight who played well, and who might need to perform a little bit better, there have been very few things to criticize over the last several weeks.

That was the case again on Saturday in a 42-6 win over the Stanford Cardinal. The Ducks struggled early, punting on their first two possessions and falling behind 6-0. A 42-0 run from there left any doubt about this team behind.

There was some fantastic play from the defense, explosive play from the offense, and, all-in-all, an impressive performance from the Ducks.

Here’s our stock report following all of the action:

7 major questions for the Ducks to answer in Week 3 vs. Hawaii

Does Jordan Burch show up? Will the penalty problems go away? Can Oregon’s secondary step up to the test? Our biggest questions for Saturday.

We entered the 2023 college football season with a lot of questions for the Oregon Ducks. With so many new faces on the roster under year two of Dan Lanning, there were a million different things that we couldn’t wait to see play out in Week 1 against the Portland State Vikings.

Unfortunately, because of the level of competition, we didn’t get a ton of answers. A week later, with a thriller down in Lubbock that the Ducks were able to squeak out against the Texas Tech Red Raiders, we were actually left with more questions than we were answers once again. So now, going into Week 3 against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, there are a lot of things that we still have yet to learn about the Ducks.

With all of that being said, let’s look at what some of those big questions are going into Saturday: