If the Tennessee Vols are going to challenge the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC East in 2023, there's a player in the NCAA transfer portal that they need to go all out to land.

South Carolina edge rusher Jordan Burch recently entered the NCAA transfer portal. Burch is a former five-star recruit from Columbia, SC who was rated as the No. 8 overall player in the 2020 recruiting class.

The talented edge rusher has elite measurables (6-foot-6/275 lbs) that NFL teams look for in outside linebackers/pass rushers. Burch still hasn't reached his potential yet, but he showed in 2022 that he's a budding superstar in college football.

Burch finished the 2022 season with 60 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks.

Recent rumblings have suggested that Oregon will be the landing spot for Burch, but ESPN suggested on Wednesday that Georgia would be the best spot for the coveted transfer.

From ESPN:

Burch chose to play at South Carolina for Will Muschamp, who is now the co-defensive coordinator at Georgia. The back-to-back national championship Dawgs heavily pursued the premier edge rusher out of high school and would be a great suitor three years later now that Burch is a transfer.

Kirby Smart does not recruit the portal heavily and prefers to develop talent, but Georgia has used the transfer portal to bridge the gap on occasion to fill immediate needs.

Georgia will lose edge rusher Robert Beal Jr. to graduation and is currently without injured Nolan Smith. There is plenty of young talent on the roster, including Mykel Williams, but adding a veteran SEC pass-rusher to the mix, one with the ability to set the edge, will be hard to overlook.

Tennessee doesn't appear to be involved with Burch, but they should be. The Vols should get a massive NIL worked out for the dynamic pass rusher. Not only would this move give Tennessee an instant replacement for Byron Young (truly an underrated player), but it would keep him away from Georgia, too.

Wouldn't the Vols much rather have Burch on their sideline in 2023 instead of looking across the field and seeing him in a Georgia uniform?

If the Vols are going to win the SEC East in 2023, they'll have to beat the Bulldogs in the trenches. There's no other way — winning at the line of scrimmage is the only way to beat Georgia.

Tennessee has made some nice portal additions while also being careful with who they go after. Burch is a player that could put the Vols over the top in 2023. Tennessee needs to make some calls and try to get involved in this battle if it's not too late.

Update:

Burch committed to Oregon on Wednesday evening. The good news for the Vols is that they won't have to see him in a Georgia uniform next season.

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