Caleb Burton is headed south.
The former Ohio State wide receiver announced Saturday he will transfer to Auburn ahead of the 2023 college football season. His decision comes two weeks after he entered the transfer portal on April 25.
War Eagle !! Excited to get to work! pic.twitter.com/nvSe75qgM8
— Caleb Burton III (@calebburtoniii) May 6, 2023
A four-star recruit and No. 132 overall prospect in Ohio State's class of 2022, Burton did not record any snaps as a true freshman. He appeared to build momentum during bowl practices last December when he lost his black stripe. However, an undisclosed injury in the Buckeyes' first spring practice of 2023 prevented Burton from carrying that momentum into his second year with the program.
In Brian Hartline's receiver room, the most loaded position group on Ohio State’s roster, Burton was likely to be again buried on the depth chart in 2023. Beyond returning starters Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka and Julian Fleming, not to mention Xavier Johnson and Jayden Ballard. Ryan Day said this spring that early enrollee wideouts Carnell Tate, Noah Rogers and Bryson Rodgers have also pushed the second-year Buckeyes in the position group. That class also awaits five-star recruit Brandon Inniss – the top-rated prospect in Ohio State's 2023 class – who will join the program this summer.
“The truth is they're gonna get really pushed by this freshman group. The three guys that came in have already made an impact,” Day said in March. “We've been very impressed with them. And then Brandon is coming in this summer."
Burton was the first member of the 2022 class to leave the Buckeyes. He was later joined by fellow wide receiver Kaleb Brown, who announced he will transfer to Iowa on Thursday.
