What Michigan Should Expect From New Cornerback Commit Ja’Den McBurrows
Closing out last week, Michigan picked up its 10 commitment in the 2021 class when Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas three-star cornerback Ja’Den McBurrows chose the Wolverines.
Though many of the Michigan fan base may have been caught off guard by the 5-10, 175-pounder’s pledge, those closer to him were not surprised at all, particularly his head coach, Roger Harriott.
“I wasn’t surprised about the commitment,” Harriott told Wolverine Digest. “Michigan has done a great job recruiting Ja’Den for several months. They do things the right way. Coach [Don] Brown contacted me prior to the commitment, then Ja’Den and I had a discussion. I advise my players to go where they’re wanted and Michigan has expressed genuine interest in Ja’Den for a long period of time.”
McBurrows picked up his offer from U-M at the end of January, and the Michigan staff worked continuously to bring him into the fold, sending Coach Brown, linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary and head coach Jim Harbaugh to recruit the talented defensive back. These paid dividends and showed McBurrows that he was part of Michigan’ plan moving forward.
And what should Michigan expect once McBurrows arrives on campus?
“Ja’Den is an extremely talented player and an even better person,” Harriott said. “From a football standpoint, he’s a student of the game with elite football acumen and great instincts between the whistle. On defense he can shut down an entire side of the field and is also a dynamic returner on special teams.
As person, he’s a brother to his teammates and leads by example,” Harriott said. “The strengths he possesses as a player are love for his team, passion for the game, intelligence, size, athleticism, physicality, and speed.”
On the field, McBurrows presents a speedy profile and has great timing in the secondary. Frequently, McBurrows will break on a ball before it is clear which player is the target then swoops in to make a play on the ball. This tendency earned him rave reviews in his first year as a starter for Aquinas.
“Ja’Den didn’t play significant time prior to the 2019 season,” McBurrows said. “As a result, he didn’t receive much attention or recognition. Last season was his debut as a starter and he acclimated well with outstanding performances on a consistent basis—exceeded expectations on defense and special teams as a returner.”
“Off the field, Ja’Den has a very easy going demeanor with great energy and an extraordinary work ethic,” Harriott said. “Ja’Den is an instinctive, versatile player with the intellect to comprehend advanced schemes and adaptability to play anywhere in the defensive backfield.”
According to McBurrows, the U-M staff plans to use him both on the outside and in the slot as a nickelback, and he should expect to see some special teams work as well given his versatile nature.
McBurrows is the first defensive back commit of Michigan’s 2021 class, and his pledge bumped the Wolverines’ class to the No. 11 position nationally and No. 4 in the Big Ten.
How would you deploy McBurrows in the U-M defensive backfield when he arrives in Ann Arbor? Does he have more potential at outside corner or inside at nickel? Let us know!
