Jake Buerk, a 6-foot-3, 290-pound offensive tackle of Gaffney High School, committed to head coach Tim Beck and Coastal Carolina University as a Preferred Walk-On (PWO) on Jan. 17.
Talk about consistency for the Indians: the big, physical blocker and all-star teammate was one of seven players that signed an National Letter of Intent (NLI), each who will now proudly carry the banner of the perennial AAAAA (5A) Palmetto State contender in the future at their respective new collegiate homes.
With the pick-up of Buerk, offensive line coach Derek Warehime have earned a hardworking player and add much-needed depth to the trenches in Conway. The physical, aggressive offensive lineman from Buffalo, NY with a knack for exceptional run-blocking will report to Conway in June.
When Buerk arrives to campus, he is ready to hit the ground running. "When I get there, I just want to pick up where I left off. I plan to hit the weight room hard and learn the playbook as quickly as I can. I'm trying to make myself someone the program can rely on, and rely on early," Buerk said.
The Shrine Bowl standout was a key cog in the front line for Gaffney squad who finished 9-4 in the 5A last fall. The Indians fell to superpower Dutch Fork, who won their seventh state championship in eight seasons, in the quarterfinals of the playoffs.
Buerk, has originally whittled down his list of options to just two schools before offensive line coach Derek Warehime and the Chanticleers came calling with his decision date looming.
That list included Lenoir-Rhyne and Anderson, both who are from the Division 2. The Bears' roster is loaded with players from the state of South Carolina, and they finished 13-2 and in the state semifinals last fall. The Trojans will begin their first season of play under head coach Bobby Lamb in Aug.
With Coastal securing Burek's commitment, the Gaffney (SC) product will now have the opportunity to compete for playing time and fight for his right to earn a full-ride scholarship in the FBS, all while "Balling at the Beach with the Chanticleers. The tide is rising in Conway, as the Chanticleers, who already boast an impressive resume in the Division 1, gear up for their eighth season as a member of the Sun Belt Conference.
"Coastal was my best opportunity, and I have a chance to go earn a scholarship after one year. You really can't beat that," he said.
Inside the recruitment of Buerk
The story of Buerk's recruitment to Coastal is quite the intriguing tale. The Chanticleers came calling on Jan. 5, just a few short weeks following his impressive performance at the Shrine Bowl in Spartanburg.
The player who originally believed his options were down to just Lenoir-Rhyne and Anderson promptly answered and quickly planned a trip to Conway to check out all that Coastal had to offer.
The Chanticleers put together a solid pitch for Buerk and he loved the university's beautiful Grand Strand campus. After seeing Coastal up close, he only had one thing to consider: finances. "After the visit, it really just came down to that. Like I said, Coastal was the best opportunity. That's what it really came down to at the end of the day," he said.
Building a relationship with Warehime
Buerk wasn't able to meet his future position coach until his recruitment was wrapping up, but despite introducing himself to Warehime late in the process, the Gaffney offensive lineman was able to quickly establish a strong bond with the Chanticleers' offensive line coach. He expressed confidence in Warehime's ability to lead him as a player and a man.
Buerk reflected on meeting Coastal's offensive line coach. "He was great, especially during the visit. (Warehime) just kept it real with me," he said, referencing the coach's down-to-earth personality and unique recruiting pitch about the Chanticleers' program.
"You can just tell by the way he speaks that he is a man of his word. I believe he is a great coach, and I want to be part of that. He just had this gritty attitude to him. He's aggressive and passionate about the game, and he wants to see you grow and succeed, not just on the field, but in life. That's what I really like about him," he said.
As for the Chanticleers' head coach, Buerk believes Beck is picking up right where Jamey Chadwell left off. Coastal is in the midst of a 39-12 run, recording three consecutive nine-win or more seasons since 2020. Beck's ability to lead the Chanticleers to a convincing 24-14 win as a big, 7.5-point underdogs in the midst of injuries and opt-out's amid the transfer portal especially resonated with the new commit."Coach Beck is carrying that torch and picking up where Coach Chadwell left off. He's a great coach, especially going down to Honolulu for a week, dealing with time zone changes, and going out on top with that win against a strong team from the West Coast. That is really impressive to me," he said.
The former N.C. State offensive coordinator and quarterbacks' coach is a coaching veteran. Beck will enter his 36th season in the industry this fall when he make his season two debut with the Chanticleers this fall when they open up on the road at Jacksonville State in a national primetime on Thurs. Aug, 29.
NUTS AND BOLTS
BUREK ON THE UPSIDE HE BELIEVES HE BRINGS: "I'm a dominant run blocker. I believe that when I go down on a block, I can hit at the next level and get my hands on you. There's no 'getting off me.' It's either you're on the ground, or I have a hold of you until the player is over. I'm also good with run blocking schematically, as well.
And, obviously, you brought up the aggression standpoint. I'm going to bring that same tenacity to Coastal as well," he said.
BUERK ON HIS BIG PERFORMANCE AT THE SHRINE BOWL, WHERE HE AND HIS TEAMMATES DEFEATED NORTH CAROLINA 24-0, PROVIDING A BIG VICTORY FOR THE PALMETTO STATE: "I shifted between playing center and right guard, where I filled in for Clemson signee Watson Young. Something happened to his leg, so he was out for the rest of the game. I didn't give up any pressure, and I had a pancake block, too. When the game started, it just seemed like everything started to slow down for me. I was playing comfortably at my own pace. I was just playing my 'own ball game.'
Everybody on the (South Carolina) team was clicking, and it was just a solid win, overall. We prepared like champions all week. We were hitting early with fully-padded practices on Monday and Tuesday. Our bodies were ready for the big game on Saturday. We let loose and did a great job of keeping each other off the ground, making sure that nobody got hurt."
