Oregon got better on the defensive line on Wednesday.

Former South Carolina edge rusher Jordan Burch announced his verbal pledge to the Ducks, committing to transfer to Oregon after three seasons with the Gamecocks. Burch was a 5-star and the eighth-ranked prospect in the country out of the 2020 class. He picked South Carolina over Clemson, LSU, and Georgia.

Meaning Dan Lanning missed out on Burch once, and he wasn’t about to do that again.

 

The 6-foot-6, 275-pound edge rusher was a producer for the Gamecocks all three years he spent in Columbia.  He appeared in all 13 games during the 2021 season, then became a full-time starter in 2022.

He finished this past season with 56 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and three pass breakups. Burch led the South Carolina defense with 40 quarterback pressures, which were the sixth-most among SEC defenders. His best game came against Arkansas on Sept. 10, when he had 10 tackles, two TFLs, and a sack. Burch played in the team’s bowl game on Dec. 30, then entered the portal days later on Jan. 5.

Over his three years with the Gamecocks, Burch produced 105 tackles, 12.5 TFLs, and 4.5 sacks.

It’s a massive win for Oregon, which needs to replace edge rusher DJ Johnson — its leader in sacks this past season with six — while also finding ways to generate more of a pass-rush in 2023 than it had in 2022.

Burch joins a group of edge rushers that’ll include Mase Funa, 2023 5-star signee Matayo Uiagalelei, and 2023 4-star signee Blake Purchase. The haul of defensive linemen in the 2023 class, both from the high school ranks and the transfer portal, is looking like an elite one for Oregon.