(Jager Burton Twitter Picture)
It certainly was not a surprise to Jager Burton when Dekel Crowdus, his Frederick Douglass High School teammate, verbally committed to hometown Kentucky last week.
“I have known for a while. It was between Oklahoma and Kentucky but he went to IMG (Academy in Florida) last year and found out what it was like to be away from home.”
Crowdus is a speedy four-star receiver while Burton is a four-star offensive lineman. Both are ranked among the nation’s top 250 players in the 2021 recruiting class.
They have talked before about being a “package” deal in college, and Kentucky is one of Burton’s final five schools. However, Burton noted he had also talked about going to college with Frederick Douglass senior offensive lineman Walker Parks, a Clemson signee.
“I wouldn’t just go cause (to Kentucky) because Dekel is there and I would not want him to do it just because I did,” Burton said.
So does Crowdus’ decision have any possible impact on Burton’s feelings about UK?
“It definitely helps,” Burton said.
Burton is the state’s top-ranked junior. The Cats already have commitments from three of the state’s top eight players — Crowdus, quarterback Kaiya Sheron of Somerset, and running back La’Vell Wright of North Hardin. Kentucky also might be hear a commitment from North Hardin defensive back Jordan Lovett, another of the state’s top eight rated juniors.
Burton had originally planned to commit before his senior season but then announced recently he was going to push back his Aug. 24 decision date to give himself time to hopefully make official visits that were postponed by the COVID-19 outbreak.
But last week Burton posted this on Twitter: “I’m getting closer to a decision be patient with me!”
Some interpreted that to mean Burton might make his announcement not long after Crowdus made his last Sunday.
“I have been thinking more in terms if official visits are not going to happen before my season starts, then I think I am pretty set with what to do,” Burton said. “I am still trying to wait it out and hope I get my visits in by August. But if they announce we will not have them (official visits), the my decision will be sooner than people expect. That’s what I meant with the tweet. Nothing going on in the next few days or weeks, though.”
