Jermaine Burton finished 2022 strong. Can he build on it with Alabama football in 2023?

Jameson Williams set a high bar for future Alabama football transfer receivers.

Joining the Crimson Tide from Ohio State where he had seen limited playing time, Williams transferred to Tuscaloosa and made an immediate impact.

From the very first game in 2021, Williams was flying by defenders and putting together highlight-reel plays. He finished the season with 79 catches for 1,572 yards and 15 touchdowns. Then, he went on to become a first-round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft.

No pressure, future Alabama transfers.

The next season proved Williams might be more of the exception than the rule. Alabama added two receivers in the portal after Williams left, Georgia's Jermaine Burton and Louisville's Tyler Harrell. Neither matched Williams' impact.

Burton had 40 receptions for 677 yards and seven touchdowns. Meanwhile, Harrell saw only 33 snaps, per Pro Football Focus, and finished with two receptions for 18 yards as he dealt with injuries.

Harrell was certainly a disappointment, but Burton didn't produce at the level Alabama needed at times during the 2023 season. Particularly in the middle of it.

In the first six games of SEC play, he caught only one touchdown. Against Tennessee, Mississippi State and LSU, he brought in only two passes in each game.

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Then something changed in the last few games of the season.

He started ramping up with the Ole Miss game on November 12. In Oxford, he caught five passes for 50 yards and a touchdown. Burton hadn't hauled in that many passes since the season opener against Utah State.

After the Ole Miss win, Burton went on to catch seven passes for 128 yards and two scores against Austin Peay. Sure, that's not a top-notch conference opponent by any means, but its still a solid outing.

Burton was also starting to put together big plays for Alabama.

He had a 50-yard catch against Austin Peay. The next week in the Iron Bowl, Burton caught a pass for 52 yards. Then in the Sugar Bowl, Burton had a 47-yard catch.

In both the Iron Bowl and Sugar Bowl, he finished with three catches for 87 yards.

That's 18 receptions for 350 yards and four touchdowns over the final four games of the season for an average of 4.5 receptions, 87.5 yards and a touchdown per game.

Over the previous nine games, Burton grabbed 22 receptions for 327 yards and three touchdowns. That's 2.44 receptions, 36.33 yards and .33 touchdowns per game.

It's clear he will want to replicate the last few games of the season to have a strong senior year.

So, what does Burton need to do to build on the way he finished 2022?

"I think what Jermaine needs to do is, he's got a lot of talent, a lot of ability," Alabama coach Nick Saban said. "I'd say consistency in performance which would come from trust and the belief in doing the little things right. Whether it's getting the right depth on a route, seeing the coverage as it is; holding himself a little bit more accountable to paying attention to detail and doing the little things right. When he does that, he's an outstanding player. He's got great ability and hopefully if we can get him to do that he'll be able to play with a little more consistency."

Consistency is going to be key as Alabama figures out who will be the new starting quarterback.

If Burton can be reliable and build on his last few games of 2022, that will go a long way in helping an offense in transition.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama football: Can Jermaine Burton build on strong finish to 2022?