Commitment breakdown: Five-star Luther Burden picks Missouri
The nation's top wide receiver prospect, Luther Burden, will be staying close to home and playing for the Missouri Tigers. The East Saint Louis, Ill., prospect had previously committed to Oklahoma before opening things back up and finally settling on a top three of Georgia, Missouri and Alabama.
Even with the amount of talent that the St. Louis area has produced in recent years, many see Burden as a generational talent. He is beloved in the area, and there has been a ton of pressure to stay home and change the trajectory of the Missouri program. While Georgia seemed like too big of an opportunity to pass up for many, Burden did what he thought was best for his future.
*****
CLASS OF 2022 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2023 RANKINGS: Rivals100
RIVALS TRANSFER TRACKER: Stories/coverage | Message board
*****
What the Tigers are getting:
Luther Burden is different. A different type of athlete, a different level of skill and a different kind of internal drive. He is the ultimate competitor and has the physical ability to match. Before he blew up on the gridiron, Burden was a candidate for team USA Basketball, and that is a testament to his overall level of skill. He has been a special talent on the football field from a young age, but it was his physical development over the past two years that has separated him from most receivers in the nation. When you look at his game, it is really hard to find any weakness. While there may be bigger or faster prospects around the country there are few as college ready as Burden.
Why it's big for Missouri:
Missouri needed a big recruiting win, and this is as big as it gets. Not only does Burden's talent make the Missouri program better from the day he steps on campus, there is a chance for his commitment to change the trajectory of Missouri recruiting moving forward. When Burden gave his seal of approval through his commitment, he also signaled that you can be an elite player and stay home to play for Missouri. Burden has a chance to come in and be a weapon from day one, and could soon be mentioned in the same sentence as other elite SEC talent - talent that Missouri is lacking right now.
Georgia Sting Factor:
As much as the Bulldogs would have loved to have lured Burden to Georgia, they are going to be OK at the end of the day. Although he would have been the highest-ranked recruit in their 2022 class, the Bulldogs still have the fifth-ranked class in the nation and also have some other top receivers committed. That being said, Georgia is still looking for a true No. 1 receiver moving forward, and there is little question that Burden could have been that guy from day one. This one hurts for Georgia, but the Sting Factor would have been much worse for Missouri had he chosen the Bulldogs.