Interview: 5-Star 2022 Texas WR Caleb Burton Talks Recruiting and Potential Visits
Written by Ryan Wright
Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG
When the high school football season got going a year ago, Del Valle’s offense was one of the few 6A Texas squads opposing defenses did not want to see on the schedule. The Cardinals were prolific averaging 42 points per game thanks in large part to emerging five-star receiver Caleb Burton.
Burton led his team in average yards per catch (18.1) and receiving touchdowns (12) after securing 50 passes for 906 yards. When junior quarterback Jace Wilson locked onto Burton, there was no stopping the duo. The 6-0, 171-pound, target found a way to beat press coverage and also scorched teams that tried to leave a cushion giving defensive coordinators fits. When they tried to double-team Burton, senior wide out Darius Lewis made them pay with 70 receptions covering 1,042 yards. Unfortunately for opposing Texas teams, the Cardinals return a bulk of their explosive playmakers in 2020 making this group a feared commodity yet again.
The game changing abilities Burton brings to the field has college football programs day dreaming and asking what if. Burton has 37 offers in-hand with programs giving their best pitches trying to land one of the nation’s most dynamic talents in the 2022 recruiting class.
In an RNG first-look, Burton sat down for a detailed one-on-one giving us an update on his offseason workouts and possible recruiting visits in the coming months.
Interview
Caleb, throughout the 2019 season you had no problems getting open with the use of your speed and burst. How fast are you?
I like to think I am pretty fast, my 40 is around a 4.5. When people see me run, they say I am deceptive with my speed. It does not look like I am moving fast but I am moving fast.
What I see is going the other way from what others have said to you. I see you getting separation easily and see you having elite speed.
Thank you.
During your sophomore season you led the Cardinals in receiving touchdowns. What was working with the skillset allowing for 12 explosive touchdown plays?
The line was good, I had a very good quarterback, and I am really fast in and out of my breaks. I gain separation quickly, and then I can make a move to score the ball. Speed, coming out of my breaks, and my ability for getting jump balls was what was working for me last season.
If teams laid off giving a 10-yard cushion, you guys had a plan for that. If they were up tight on you, no problem there either. Was there a coverage that maybe initially gave you trouble but you worked through it helping improve your game overall?
Honestly, the only coverage that gave me trouble was a double-team with a safety on top of me. If teams were doing that, we would use double-move routes then. We did not have many of those then, but we have a lot of them this year. Double coverage was the hard part last season.
What were some of the routes you ran within the scheme?
We had post-curls, a glance route – a five-step slant to eight yards, a spin route – 8 to 10 yards in and roll into it, and comebacks were some of them.
Besides your speed, what do you feel are the strengths to your game as a receiver at this point in your high school career?
What I can do after the catch, how I can make people miss and go score, and my ability to get 50-50 balls. I can jump pretty high. How fast I am out of breaks and how fast I am off the line are the biggest strengths.
When the 2020 season gets going, where all will we see you on the field?
At receiver and kick and punt returner. I will be moving around as a receiver, inside and outside this year.
How have you been preparing for the upcoming season working on your speed and conditioning?
This offseason I have been working hard. I have been lifting every day and I go on the field four times a week. With my conditioning, I am really big on running hills and breaking down on the hill. I am moving the fastest I have every moved. That is a good sign.
Great sign for you, not so good for the teams on the schedule. (He laughs) Let’s talk about what you have been working on with your technique.
I have been focusing on breaking down, dropping my weight and hips all the sudden while going full speed, and our new routes. We have new offensive coordinator this year. We have new double-move routes and new concepts this season. I have also been working on setting up a DB putting him where I want him so I can go where I want to go.
Nice. I like that. Going into recruiting. Which schools are showing interest but have yet to offer?
Most all have offered. I have been talking to Oklahoma, Clemson, Georgia, Alabama, Stanford, Ohio State, Oregon, and Florida State.
How many offers have been dropped?
Thirty-seven.
Burton’s Offer Sheet: Alabama, Arizona State, Arkansas, Auburn, Baylor, Boston College, California, Clemson, Colorado, Duke, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Iowa State, Kansas, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Nebraska, North Texas, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, SMU, Syracuse, Texas, Texas A&M, TCU, Texas Tech, USC, and Utah
Did you get to take any visits before the mandated NCAA dead period began in March?
No. I had a visit to see USC, Cal, and Stanford set but then the virus happened that week.
Once the campuses open back up, do you have any visits you’d like to take or any that are already planned?
I want to see a lot of schools before I make a decision: Clemson, Ohio State, Oregon, Stanford, Alabama, Georgia – a lot of schools.
If you will, take us inside the recruiting day or week of a five-star player. About how many text messages and/or contacts do you regularly get and how do you stay on top of all that with nearly 40 offers on the table?
I get a whole bunch of texts and calls, and interview requests all the time coming in, I put my phone down. But I like it. Right now, I have a lot of Zoom calls and I have been doing virtual tours of the campuses. That is another way to see everything on campus.
Caleb, I appreciate your time today and wish you and the rest of the Cardinals success this summer preparing for the upcoming season.
Thank you.
Photo credit: Burton family; Caleb Burton working out summer 2020