Mizzou sophomore and St. Louis native Luther Burden is proving himself to be one of the top wide receivers in all of college football. (Photo: Terrance Williams)

Cedric Williams
Senior Editor

When he made his choice known to the world, it sent shockwaves throughout all of college football.

Luther Burden III, a St. Louis native, who was also the best high school wide receiver in the country and No. 3-ranked player overall, chose the University of Missouri. He could’ve chosen big bad Alabama, or maybe current back-to-back national champion Georgia, or any school in the country if he wanted.

But Burden chose to stay home and play for Mizzou. And the entire NCAA was stunned.

“It just felt like the right place for me,” Burden said, back in 2021 when he announced his decision in front of family, friends, and live on ESPN. “I knew I wanted to stay home. But Mizzou felt like home. I am home. And I knew it was the right choice for me.”

And in his first season at Missouri, Burden had a fine season. Not overly dynamic, but pretty good for a true freshman.

He caught 45 passes, averaged 8.5 yards per catch, and left most Missouri fans wishing he had gotten the ball more.

Five games into his sophomore season, fans are getting their wish. Burden is second in the nation with 43 catches, and he leads the nation with 644 receiving yards.

Burden has 100 yards or more in four of Mizzou’s five games, including this past weekend at Vanderbilt, when he caught 11 passes for 140 yards and scored two touchdowns.

“We were never disappointed in Luther, never dissatisfied,” Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz said this spring. “If anything, it was our fault as coaches. We had to find where he was comfortable, and what worked best for him.”

Maybe it was the move to inside slot, where Burden’s speed and athleticism are a better fit, and where he’s a matchup nightmare against safeties and nickel backs. Or maybe it doesn’t matter where he plays.

Maybe the game slowed down for him, and new offensive coordinator Kirby Moore figured different ways to get him the ball. Or quarterback Brady Cook is finally healthy for the first time since Burden’s been at Mizzou, and the game has slowed down for him, too.

The protections are cleaner, the routes are crisper, the throws are more accurate. And the next thing you know, Missouri has a bona fide superstar in Burden — who is the definition of the impact of NIL.

Before the NCAA allowed players to earn off their name, image and likeness in 2021, Missouri may not have been able to keep the best player in the state home. Burden played high school football in East St. Louis, just across the state line, and was Alabama’s No. 1 target.

The next great Tide receiver, they told him. Just like Julio and Amari, and Ridley and Waddle and the guy who won the Heisman Trophy, DeVonta Smith.

Sign with Alabama and play with the reigning Heisman winner (QB Bryce Young), and win a national title with the greatest coach in college football history.

Or sign with Missouri and blaze your own course.

“I believe in what we’re doing here,” Burden said, after the Memphis game. “We’ve got playmakers everywhere, not just me. A lot of times, I’m open because the defense has to be concerned about other people. It’s working. We’re making it work. And we’re only going to get better.”

Some of those other playmakers include other members of the receiving corps in Theo Wease, Mekhi Miller (a Kansas City kid), Mookie Cooper (another St. Louis high school star), and Marquis Johnson, and starting running back Cody Schrader (another native St. Louisan), who ranks second in the SEC in rushing with 463 yards.

Another key factor has been stability at the quarterback position. Cook played injured almost all of last year, but this season, he’s healthy and playing well.

“I’m just doing everything I can to help my team win,” Burden said. “We all are. That’s what we work for every day.”

Missouri has a commitment from a top 3 player in the 2024 recruiting class (DE Williams Nwaneri) — who chose his home state school over Georgia. The Tigers are a finalist for a 2nd top-10 overall player from the state (WR Ryan Wingo), who doesn’t have to look too far to see what Missouri did with the last elite WR it signed.

On the field, and with NIL, college football has changed forever. The top players don’t have to go to the historically top schools to succeed. They can go wherever they want and even stay home and reach all their goals.

Luther Burden is proving that true and now becoming the poster boy for 5-star recruits turning down blue-bloods — and staying home and succeeding.

Burden’s story has just begun. It’ll be interesting to see where the next chapter leads.