Ohio State complimentary of Oregon DE Jordan Burch: 'You gotta know where he is on every play'

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day mentioned him. Then Buckeyes offensive coordinator Chip Kelly mentioned him.

Oregon fifth-year senior defensive end Jordan Burch is hard to miss, after all. The reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week certainly was this past weekend in a 31-10 win over Michigan State.

Burch piled up a career-high 2.5 sacks and finished with four tackles as well as his first-ever fumble recovery. He has now logged a combined 3.5 sacks in his last two outings, tying him for the current Big Ten lead in sacks (5.0).

Burch — once the On3 Industry Ranking’s No. 11 overall prospect and top EDGE in the 2020 class — also was named the Reese’s Senior Bowl Co-Defensive Player of the Week and the Shrine Bowl Breakout Defensive Player of the Week for his standout performance against the Spartans. He now poses a challenge to an Ohio State offense that has allowed only four sacks in five games.

“I think his athletic ability for such a big player,” Kelly said, when asked Tuesday about what makes Burch so special. “He’s listed at 6-5, 290, but he plays defensive end. Most guys that big are the interior defensive linemen. So he’s a really athletic guy.

“He had a huge game against Michigan State last Friday night, really kind of showed up. I think he’s really starting to embrace that role that [defensive coordinator] Tosh [Lupoi] and Dan [Lanning] have put him in.”

In addition to ranking at the top of the Big Ten leaderboard in sacks this season, Burch is fourth in the league with 7.0 tackles for loss. He’s third on the team in run defense tackles (nine), according to Pro Football Focus. That’s where he finished in 2023, during which he posted 18 run defense tackles, per PFF.

A Columbia, South Carolina, native, Burch started his college career with the Gamecocks, who he spent three seasons with, notably recording a career-high 60 total tackles — including 8.0 TFLs and 3.5 sacks — in 2022.

Then he transferred to Oregon. Burch is taking his game to the next level in 2024. His 21 pressures through five games are good for second on the team, per PFF, only behind Michigan State transfer defensive tackle Derrick Harmon, who Day noted Tuesday is “playing very, very good football.”

“Burch is very, very good,” Day said as well. “He’s very athletic, strong, good pass rusher, good against the run. … They have some good guys up front. So it’s going to be a great challenge for our offensive line and for everybody.

“I think each week, again, it’s ramped up so that’s been good, but we’re looking forward to the challenge.”

Oregon has a senior-heavy defense that’s 21st nationally with 17 points per game allowed. Burch, officially listed at 6-foot-6, 295 pounds, is a big part of that unit.

“You got to know where he is on every play,” Kelly said. “He’s one of those guys that can disrupt a football game.”