Eli Drinkwitz Defends Luther Burden Over Alleged Pre-Draft Character Concerns

If Eli Drinkwitz has proved anything in his six years as the Missouri Tigers head coach, it's that he will not hesitate to speak his mind. He's not one to mince his words.

It's a trait that that NFL general managers and scouts undoubtedly appreciate when looking to gain intel on Missouri's draft prospects.

"I'm talking to a lot of GMs. talking to a lot of position coaches and giving them the truth of who these players are," Drinkwitz said Tuesday on "The Rich Eisen Show."

Drinkwitz has specifically been fielding a lot of calls regarding the maturity of Missouri's star wide receiver, Luther Burden III. The receiver was seen as a surefire first-round selection in the weeks after he declared for the draft shortly after the finale of Missouri's regular season.

But since, there's been rumors of concerns over Burden's work ethic.

"There are these quiet critics out here who say he has a character problem," Drinkwitz said. " "My response to everybody has been, he's never been arrested, he's never had a public incident at our university, he has never once been to my office to complain about his role. ... He's just been a great teammate."

On Feb. 24, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated wrote that Burden isn't the "cleanest prospect."

"There's a lot of stuff that comes with Luther," Todd McShay, an NFL draft analyst for The Ringer, said in a recent episode of "The McShay Show." "I only say because I talk to NFL scouts who do their background checks and everything else. There's a lot of diva."

When Burden took the stand to answer the media's questions at the NFL Scouting Combine, he was first asked if there was something that NFL scouts knew about his character that everyone on the outside wasn't keyed in on.

Other reports, like Bob McGinn's for GoLong state that scouts think Burden's "mom is a problem." McGinn's report includes quotes from anonymous scouts, which believe Burden was coddled, and unfairly favored after coming in as the second-highest rated recruit in program history.

But, according to Drinkwitz, the praise for Burden didn't lead to a big head.

"Never once came in to go try to renegotiate NIL," Drinkwitz said on the show. "Never one time heard from him, his parents or his agent about his NIL contract. Everytime just said 'I'll trust you.' Never once was the highest-paid player on my football team. Yet people are out there saying stuff."

Infact, Burden handed Missouri and Drinkwitz a blank check, not the other way around as is typical for star players. Even after the receiver's breakout, Second-team All-American season in 2023, he didn't come to the table looking for some big pay raise, according to Drinkwitz.

Sep 7, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers wide receiver Luther Burden III (3) warms up against the Buffalo Bulls prior to a game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

"He said to me 'Coach i trust you, you always take care of me, whatever you think is fair me,'" Drinkwitz recalled in an interview with "SEC This Morning." "That's the only conversation I had with him about NIL when he was here."

Outside of the alleged character concerns, there's also been questions regarding Burden's statistical drop off from 2023 to 2024. His receiving yards were nearly cut in half, going from 1,212 to 676. But there's important context to that, such as the injuries Missouri dealt with at the quarterback position

In 2024. Burden still showed the same talent he did in 2023, even if the numbers weren't there to back it up. He also contributed on special teams and as a run blocker.

"He does whatever we need him to do in order to win the football game," Drinkwitz said of Burden in a press conference during the 2024 season. "He's contributed in every game significantly."

When Burden enters the NFL, there won't be any questions about his natural traits. Nor was there at the time when he entered Missouri out of East St. Louis High School. The question will just be if he has the work ethic to put together a succesful career.

If his time at Missouri is any indication, that won't be a problem.

"For Luther Burden to choose to come here, for him to work to prove that he's the best player on the team," Drinkwitz said in a press conference following the finale of Missouri's regular season. "He's one of the best players, if not the best player, to ever come to the University of Missouri and for him to make that decision changed the trajectory of my career in our program.”

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