Within two weeks of announcing his transfer to IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida) for his senior year, Jermaine Burton changed his mind.
Burton is returning to Calabasas High School (California), head coach Chris Claiborne confirmed to USA TODAY High School Sports.
The Burton-IMG marriage was short-lived. With this turn of events, the four-star player, ranked No. 5 at the position on the 247Sports Composite, gives Calabass another weapon to re-form two-thirds of a fearsome receiver group on display last year.
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In 2018, Burton led Calabasas with 863 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns beside Oregon enrollee Mycah Pittman and 2020 WR Johnny Wilson, who is now ranked as a four-star prospect.
Wilson, entering his senior year as the No. 6 receiver in the nation, is 6-foot-5 but “moves like a little dude,” Claiborne said in July. The receiver had 672 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns as a junior.
Those two are proven commodities. Claiborne is also excited to see incoming junior Amoni Butler play on the outside and incoming sophomore Larry Turner-Gooden, who already has a dozen Div. I offers.
With that group, Calabasas hopes to take a step forward from its 10-3 season in which they reached the CIF-SS Div. II semifinals.
As for IMG, the Ascenders are still loaded with talent all over the field, including four-star wide receiver Michael Redding III.
They have also had significant talent transfer additions prior to Burton, namely cornerback Elias Ricks and four-star running back/linebacker Lovasea Carroll.
This article will be updated as more information comes available.
