Receiver recruit John Burt is a major threat in the red zone.
John Burt is a talented class of 2015 wide receiver, possessing good size.
Burt, out of Lincoln High School in Tallahassee, Fla., stands 6'3 and weighs in at 180 pounds. As of April, he's rated as a consensus four-star prospect by Rivals, 247Sports, Scout and ESPN. Scout, 247 and ESPN rank him as the 16th-best wide receiver in the class, and Rivals tabs him sixth at his position. The 247Sports Composite, which takes into account the four major recruiting services, lists him at No. 91 in the nation, No. 8 at his position and No. 17 among players from the state of Florida.
Burt has drawn national interest and holds 17 scholarship offers. Among those recruiting his services are Texas, Auburn, Florida State, Alabama, Florida, LSU, Miami, Nebraska, Ohio State and USC.
Fans can follow Burt on Twitter @burticus21.
There's a lot to like about John Burt, and there are also areas of his game that need major improvement.
Burt has a good frame, offering the potential to add significant weight. His long catching radius benefits him quite a bit in the red zone. And that is where Burt is the most dangerous. He has the ability to leap over defenders, use excellent body control to position himself for the catch, and then extend his long arms and secure the football with big hands, bringing it down. Burt is also quite confident in making over-the-shoulder catches. Burt does show some wiggle when returning punts and kicks, and I wonder if that can translate to some after-the-catch ability if his team were to ever throw him some shorter passes. His highlights are almost all deep balls.
However, Burt does not have elite speed. And he is very raw in his route running. This was apparent when watching him at a recent Nike camp, as compared to other receivers. Burt has to work on bending and getting low to get in and out of his breaks quicker. Because of his lack of top-end speed, Burt must put in a lot of work on his route running in order to gain separation from defenders on underneath routes. He also needs to add size so that defenders cannot body him.
Burt does not profile as an instant-impact player at the highest levels of college football, but in time, he could blossom into a multi-year starter.