Jackets add young pass rusher Christian Burkhalter via the portal

Georgia Tech was one of the schools in the mix for pass rusher Christian Burkhalter out of high school in the class of 2021. Burkhalter had a wild recruitment that saw various schools lead, a commitment to Oregon, and a signing with UCLA. After one season in California, Burkhalter hit the transfer portal and exited it on Wednesday night committing to Georgia Tech.

The former Spanish Fort HS (Ala.) star was a top 20 player in the state of Alabama in his class and ranked the 32nd overall weakside defensive end by Rivals. He played outside linebacker at UCLA, but projects as a rush end in the Jackets' defense. He has not played any collegiate snaps, but was on the scout team for his freshman year at UCLA and will have all four years of eligibility remaining.