Three Things to Know About Tennessee's New WR Coach Kodi Burns

Kodi Burns is set to return to the SEC after originally heading to UCF following the firing of Gus Malzahn at Auburn. Burns, an Auburn legend, replaces Tennessee legend Tee Martin at Wide Receivers coach on Josh Heupel’s inaugural staff. We take a look three things you should know about Burns, who will take over a young, yet talented wide receiver room.

Auburn Great

Many successful coaches get their start as players, and Burns was a star at Auburn during his college career. According to his university bio, "From 2007-10, Burns earned four varsity letters at Auburn, excelling in a variety of roles. He was a quarterback his first two seasons at Auburn; in 2007, he became the first Auburn true freshman quarterback to start a game since Gabe Gross in 1998. He moved to wide receiver for the second half of his career, collecting nearly 2,300 total yards and 22 career touchdowns. " Burns helped Auburn to a national championship victory over Oregon catching a 35-yard touchdown pass from Cam Newton in the 22-19 win. As a coach at Auburn, where Burns spent most of his career, he worked as a co-coordinator and receivers coach. 

Great recruiter

As a recruiter at Auburn, Burns hit on his top recruiting targets at the wide out position more times than not. He landed the likes of Anthony Schwartz and Seth Williams, who are both going to play in the NFL and have been fixtures in Auburn's offensive success of late. In 2020, he landed four coveted four-stars in J.J. Evans, Ze'vian Capers, Kobe Hudson and world-class speedster Malcolm Johnson Jr..  According to 247 Sports, Burns was responsible for or played a part in landing 16 high-end recruits during his time at Auburn. His recruiting ties across the Southeast should pay dividends for Josh Heupel.

Versatility as a Developer

Time and again, it becomes apparent that you can recruit elite talent, but if you can't develop it, it simply does not matter. Burns has a successful track record as developer at multiple positions. He helped coach running backs at Auburn as a graduate assistant in 2013, serving as key part of Tre Mason's development. Mason won SEC offensive player of the year and was a Heisman Finalist. As a receiver's coach, Burns was also highly productive. He played key parts in developing Ryan Davis, Anthony Schwartz, Seth Williams, and Darius Slayton. All rank among the top receivers in Auburn history, and Williams is fourth all-time in receiving yards and tied for third in touchdowns. Davis is the school's leading receiver in terms of total receptions (178)