Reuniting former teammates is a Cincinnati Bengals speciality.
Outside of the obvious Joe Burrow-Ja'Marr Chase example, Cincinnati has recently restored past teammates such as Orlando Brown Jr. and Cody Ford, Ted Karras and Trent Brown, Dax Hill and DJ Turner, Sam Hubbard and Vonn Bell, and many more.
Jordan Battle and Jermaine Burton form the latest college reunion, and the two should see plenty of each other during practice.
Battle was Burton's teammate in 2022 at Alabama, which was Burton's first year with the Crimson Tide. The senior captain of the defense took note of Burton's specific skillset, and how even as a new member of the team that year, Burton became a trustworthy part of Bama's offense.
"He was exploding on the outside to create separation," Battle told Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. "That showed up a lot with Bryce (Young) throwing the ball downfield.
"There was trust Bryce had in him and the coaches had in him knowing when they were throwing downfield, he would be there to catch it."
The tape and numbers both say the same thing. When the ball was going to Burton down the field, it pretty much always found Burton's hands when it was catchable. The former 4-star recruit who played his first two seasons at Georgia didn't drop a single pass in 2023 despite averaging just over 20 air yards per target.
Burton's efficiency surprisingly wasn't as strong when Young, the first-overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, was his quarterback, but the big plays down the field were still prevalent. That version of Bama's offense was notably different with more consistent QB play.
When Battle wasn't practicing against it on week days, he was watching unfold on the sidelines on Saturdays. He'll do the same on Sundays for the next few years as well, with one of the game's best quarterbacks in Joe Burrow throwing Burton the ball now.
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