Dan Lanning calls former South Carolina defensive lineman Jordan Burch a 'phenomenal player'

Oregon landed one of the top transfers in the country in former five-star defensive lineman Jordan Burch, who opted to seek a new opportunity after spending three seasons at South Carolina.

The Ducks will get a player responsible for 105 career tackles, 12.5 tackles for a loss, 4.5 sacks, an interception and five passes defended.

“Yeah I think that it just shows that you never know when a relationship might go full-circle,” coach Dan Lanning said. “I think Jordan’s a phenomenal player, I think you can see that looking at his film. I think he has a ton of potential and I think he makes us better as a team.”

Lanning recruited Burch while he was an assistant coach at Georgia, vying for the former five-star prospect’s services.

Neither the Bulldogs nor Lanning were able to land Burch the first time around, but now the two will link up to see if Lanning can help better maximize defensive lineman Jordan Burch’s potential as a disruptive force up front.

“I know his work ethic, I know his demeanor and his approach,” Lanning said. “Having that strong relationship four years ago you never realized it’s going to pay off down the road and come full-circle, like I said.

“But I think it gives us a chance to be better. I’m really excited about him being here.”

Dan Lanning learning on the job at Oregon

In his first year as the coach at Oregon, Dan Lanning managed to sign a top-10 recruiting class, so suffice it to say he’s got things firing on all cylinders when it comes to Oregon recruiting. Taking transfers like defensive lineman Jordan Burch has also helped shore up the roster.

And yet the now second-year head coach still sees room for improvement. Even after national signing day he was still making pitches.

“And I’ll say this, Oregon is an opportunity that a lot of people want to be a part of,” Lanning said. “They see the innovation. They see what exists here and makes this place so great, and that’s what excites me. I feel like we can go anywhere in the nation and go get the best players when people see this for the right thing. …

“It takes the right person to come here and be an Oregon Duck. This is a prideful program that provides a lot of opportunity and resources for people to be great, but sometimes you have to step out on a limb to make that happen. It’s not always going to be the closest, most convenient option, but a lot of times it’s going to be the best option.”