New commit Burgess: USC 'feels like home'
Tampa, Fla. — Juwan Burgess holds scholarship offers from schools across the country and has an opportunity to play just about anywhere. But after looking at his options, the 5-foot-11, 185-pounder decided that he best fit with the USC Trojans.
On Wednesday, Plant High School held a ceremony for the three-star athlete and he announced his commitment to USC.
“When I took my visit to USC, it felt like home, honestly,” Burgess told TrojanSports.com. “It didn’t even feel like I was in California, it felt like I was still in Tampa. From that right there, I had to put them top on my list. Also, they had a family atmosphere and it was just like, who would not love a family atmosphere. So it was just amazing, it was a blessing.”
Burgess says a few things stand out about USC.
“The city, it was just amazing,” Burgess said. “Even though its big but its just beautiful, gorgeous, the weather is perfect. The campus was beautiful as well, so that’s something I really enjoyed.”
USC’s coaching staff has also impressed him. Trojan coaches like Ronnie Bradford, Tee Martin, Clancy Pendergast, and others, have been involved with recruiting Burgess to USC. But Burgess may have been swayed most by some lesser-known assistants.
“They played a huge role,” Burgess said. “One of the coaches that I loved the most was Coach Keys (Keynodo Hudson), he was just a great guy, even when I was on the visit. Coach (Austin) Clark, he’s a Plant alumni so, hey, that’s family right there. And our Plant saying is always linked so, hey, continue it.”
Those coaches definitely put on a show when Burgess visited USC in June. Shortly after that trip, Burgess decided that the Trojans were the right fit.
“I would have to say a little bit after the visit because I talked to my dad, talked to my stepmom, I talked to my mom and everything,” Burgess said. “And from there, I just knew I was set.”
While Burgess might be set on USC, he acknowledges that he may take visits to other college campuses before signing a letter of intent.
“If schools are willing to have me take visits, I’d be happy to take visits,” Burgess said. “But other than that I’m solid to USC.”
It’s fair to wonder if Burgess’ future position could become a factor in his recruitment. He’s listed as an athlete by Rivals.com and can play on either side of the ball.
While Burgess insists that he’ll be happy at any position, he obviously wants to prove that he’s more than a defensive player to USC.
“They envision me as a defensive back,” Burgess said. “But I’m pretty sure once I go there, I can show them I’m a two way guy and they can use me on both sides of the ball.”
USC may still put the ball in his hands. At one point, Burgess was being recruited to USC to play offense. Like a few players that are currently on USC’s roster, Burgess has the ability to do it all for the Trojans.
“They were showing interest at receiver,” Burgess said. “And then that’s when defensive back came into play and I just took the defensive back.”