Alabama leading WR Jermaine Burton leaving for NFL after 2 seasons

By Nick Alvarez | nalvarez@al.com ----

After two seasons presenting a significant deep ball threat to defenses, Alabama wideout Jermaine Burton will head to the NFL Draft.

The former Georgia transfer announced his decision on social media. He had one year of eligibility remaining. Burton led UA pass-catchers with 798 yards and eight touchdowns in 2023.

Burton quickly became one of Jalen Milroe’s favorite targets, particularly on deep balls. Burton, a native of Calabasas, Calif., averaged 61.4 yards per game, nearly 14 more yards than Isaiah Bond’s second-most 47.7 yards a contest.

“To my coaches, thank you for putting your trust in me. A special thank you to Coach (Holmon) Wiggins, you’ve helped me grow so much as both a player and a person and I’ll forever be grateful for that,” Burton wrote in his goodbye message.

Burton had a career day against Texas A&M on Oct. 7, catching nine passes for 197 yards and two scores. Earlier this week, Wiggins was announced as A&M’s new wide receivers coach and co-offensive coordinator.

In 48 games, 22 with the Bulldogs, Burton caught 132 passes for 2,376 yards and 23 touchdowns. He caught three passes in the 2021 College Football Playoff, including two against the Tide in the national championship.

Three other pass-catchers have already opted for the transfer portal: Shazz Preston, Miles Kitselman and Malk Benson. The latter started along with Burton. The rest of the Crimson Tide receivers, however, showed promise in 2023. Kendrick Law, Kobe Prentice and Isaiah Bond are all candidates to be the team’s first 1,000-yard receiver since Jameson Williams and John Metchie III in 2021.