Del Valle (Texas) High 247Sports Composite five-star prospect Caleb Burton, the No. 1 receiver in the Top247, announced his commitment to Ohio State on Monday evening. The Buckeyes beat out the likes of Oklahoma, Texas and Stanford for the blue-chipper’s verbal.
The 6-foot, 165-pound Burton is the nation’s No. 9 prospect overall per the Top247, and checks in at No. 15 respectively in the 247Sports Composite. He adds to a Buckeyes class also ranked No. 1 nationally.
Burton plans to help Ryan Day and his staff keep it rolling on the trail moving forward.
“It was one of my things to be the first wide receiver commit in my class so I can start recruiting myself,” Burton said. “I wanted to be one of the first people to commit and build the whole wave to Ohio State.”
Other offers for Burton included Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Notre Dame, LSU, Texas A&M and USC. The Buckeyes presence was larger than any other program, led by receivers coach and reigning 247Sports National Recruiter of the Year Brian Hartline.
“The relationship me and Coach Day and Coach Hartline have, it stands out compared to all the other coaches,” Burton said. “I’d say Coach Hartline is a very straight-up dude. I love talking to him. He’s one of the coaches I’ll text him and it doesn’t have to be about football. I was out to eat last week and sent a picture of my plate. It sounds silly but that’s one of the things that stands out to me, we just talk, we laugh and make jokes.”
All that said, Hartline’s pedigree was a major factor.
“The success Coach Hartline has had in the past, being a former NFL wide receiver, that’s a lot he’s been through with the whole process, so I know he can help teach me and mentor me and get me where I want to go.”
It wasn’t lost on Burton seeing Garrett Wilson shine and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, two Lone Star State products, shining at the position in Columbus.
“Watching Garrett and how much he’s improved from freshman to sophomore year is big,” Burton said.
Burton is the third five-star already in the fold for Ohio State in 2022 as he joins the No. 1 overall prospect in quarterback Quinn Ewers along with the No. 1 recruit in Ohio in linebacker Gabe Powers.
Burton knew he wanted to be a Buckeye for a while and he and his parents hashed it out on Saturday and that’s when he told Hartline he was coming.
“It was exciting,” Burton said. “It brought a lot of emotions. It just feels like the right thing.”
As a sophomore Burton caught 51 passes for 882 yards and 12 touchdowns. He has missed his junior season with an injury but rehab is going strong and he’s back to jogging this week. 247Sports National Analyst Gabe Brooks compares his game to Jerry Jeudy, a first round selection in last year’s NFL Draft.
“Good frame potential for typical outside receiver prospect,” Brooks wrote in his evaluation. “Flashes impressive timing and high-pointing ability on contested throws. Meets the ball at the apex. Adjusts well with encouraging body control. Gets off the line quickly and on top of corners in a hurry. Shows impressive burst and acceleration. Dangerous in catch-and-run situations. Generally a good hands catcher. Good football pedigree. Adequate to above average on-field long speed but can get faster at the top end. Among the top prospects in Texas for the 2022 class. Possesses all-conference potential with long-term NFL Draft ceiling.”
