Why Georgia WR’s move to Alabama makes sense despite criticism

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The transfer gate transfer of wide receiver Jermaine Burton from Georgia to Alabama raised some eyebrows.

That angered former Bulldog Mecole Hardman enough to post his disapproval on social media on Monday.

“How are you in the team we just beat?” Hardman wrote on an Instagram Story. “And leave a team you won the natty with?”

To that, Burton basically told her to mind her own business in a Monday afternoon Twitter post. But the unasked question has a logical answer when emotion is taken out of the equation.

Someone like Jameson Williams could probably take a chance.

The fast receiver caught just 15 passes for less than 300 yards in two seasons at Ohio State before being traded to Alabama. He finished with 79 catches and 1,572 receiving yards for a Crimson Tide record 19.9 receiving yards in 2021. Williams went from a rotation guy in Columbus to a Biletnikoff runner-up and an early exit from the NFL single-season draft in Tuscaloosa.

Of course, none of this happens in a vacuum and Williams’ story is no guarantee that Burton will repeat that success.

But the fact that Williams and prime target John Metchie are leaving for the NFL certainly didn’t deter Burton from making the jump. In fact, Alabama will be deprived of 73% of its 2021 receiving and 74% of its 2021 receiving yards at the start of next season.

Who’s not leaving? Brice Young.

All he did was rewrite the Alabama record books and win the Heisman Trophy in his first season. His intelligence and laser-like precision helped boost the stock of receivers like Williams and Metchie.

Beyond Young’s talent, Alabama also runs a more receiver-friendly offense than Georgia’s. Granted, the Bulldogs have played up front for most of the season, but Alabama averaged 38.1 pass attempts per game last year, compared to Georgia’s 27.1.

Quarterback Stetson Bennett, who announced he would return to Athens the same day Burton announced his departure, doesn’t quite have the same upper-level potential as Young. He made 64.5% of his shots to Young’s 66.9%, but the Alabama sophomore was trusted to do a bit more than his Georgian counterpart.

Like Williams and Ohio State, there are more people in Georgia in the pass distribution formula. Burton had the most receiving yards (497 of 26 caught) among wides but trailed National Rookie of the Year tight end Brock Bowers 56 for 882 yards. Two first-year receivers — Ladd McConkey and Adonai Mitchell — had more receptions at 29 and 27 respectively.

Alabama does not have a wide return that has had more than Traeshon Holden’s 21 receptions. And that’s in an offense that has attempted 164 more passes than Georgia.

It doesn’t seem to be personal.

It’s a deal and it can’t be ignored when you see a receiver like Jameson Williams go from a backup to a potential first-round NFL draft pick in one season with Young.

The mass exodus from Alabama receiving the production coupled with the prospect of playing with Heisman’s winning quarterback was sure to spark interest in the transfer market.

Burton was just quick enough to hit on that opening.

Michael Casagrande is a reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.

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