Georgia Tech 2024 preview: Most important transfer

The following is the fourth in a series of articles that will preview the coming Georgia Tech football season, which begins Aug. 24 against Florida State in Dublin. In the series, we will examine several of the “Most important” things to watch as the Yellow Jackets’ season approaches. Today: Most important transfer.

Of all the newcomers that Georgia Tech brought in from the time it defeated Central Florida in the Gasparilla Bowl in December to the start of preseason camp in July, one is in position to make a serious impact for the Yellow Jackets in 2024.

Warren Burrell came to Tech in January after an up-and-down career at Tennessee. A former North Gwinnett star, Burrell spent five years in Knoxville, Tennessee, where he showed flashes of playing at an elite level, but he also battled injuries and inconsistencies during his time there. Tech hopes he can put together a full season as a shutdown cornerback while solidifying the Tech defense.

“From a football aspect, it’s a team that’s on the rise. Everything about this team was trending upward,” Burrell said about his choice to join the Jackets. “I believe in myself enough to help give that boost. Everything kind of checked all the boxes so it made sense.”

Burrell was a three-star recruit, according to the 247Sports Composite, in the signing class of 2019. He had scholarship offers from Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Michigan, Mississippi, Notre Dame and Ohio State, among many others — but not one from Tech. He committed to Tennessee, and former Volunteers coach Jeremy Pruitt, in July 2018.

“I really had the time to think about what I wanted in a school, what I wanted beyond school, how I could best achieve my dreams of reaching the NFL and Tennessee checked all the boxes for me,” Burrell told Rivals at the time of his commitment.

Over the next five seasons, Burrell would play in 40 games for the Volunteers. He started his first four games as a freshman and would play nine games in 2019.

The 2020 season saw Burrell play in eight games, and he appeared in 12 games during the 2021 campaign. The 6-foot, 195-pound cornerback got hurt after two games in 2022, then bounced back to play in 10 games in 2023. All told, Burrell totaled 91 tackles (three for a loss), an interception and was credited with nine pass breakups as a Vol.

Burrell said during the years he was a high school recruit he never really considered playing for Tech — and never even visited the campus. Returning to Atlanta, and exploring Tech for the first time, was a bit of a revelation.

“I was at home during that whole recruiting process (as a transfer),” he said. “I have some connections up here as far as (senior defensive analyst and recruiting specialist) coach (Bill) Stewart, (strength coach) AJ Ertis, (assistant strength) coach Byron (Jerideau) — those guys were my strength coaches at Tennessee.

“I got a call from one of my high school coaches talking about Georgia Tech, ‘What you think about staying at home?’ That kind of put it in my mind and then after that I was hit up by coach Stewart, AJ and those guys and I decided I’m here so might as well take a visit, come up here and see what everyone is talking about.”

Burrell is expected to start at cornerback for Tech when it opens the season Aug. 24 against Florida State in Dublin (noon, ESPN).

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