Mizzou's Luther Burden III Solidifies Clutch Gene and Leadership in Cotton Bowl
ARLINGTON, Texas — Up 7-3 with 11:17 remaining in the 2023 Cotton Bowl, the Missouri Tigers needed one more score to put away the Ohio State Buckeyes for good.
The drive opened up with a few carries by running back Cody Schrader to get to the Mizzou 20. Quarterback Brady Cook then got sacked by Ohio State cornerback Jordan Hancock on the next play for a loss of six yards, but fired back with a crucial 31-yard completion to receiver Theo Wease Jr.
Schrader subsequently worked his magic to bring the Tigers to the Buckeyes' 7, setting up a second-and-goal scoring opportunity to ice the game.
Cook took the snap, faked a hand-off to Schrader and drilled a pass right through the middle of the Ohio State defense to who else but his No. 1 passing option all season long: Luther Burden III.
Celebrating with LeBron James' patented "Silencer," Burden's touchdown electrified the Tiger crowd in AT&T Stadium that had awaited a big offensive play until the very last quarter. Just like the fourth-and-17 conversion he made against Florida late in the season, the sophomore stepped up when his team needed it the most, giving Mizzou all of the points it needed to complete its first New Year's Six Bowl game in the College Football Playoff era with a win.
Burden finished the season with a team-high 1,212 receiving yards on 86 receptions and nine touchdowns, performing as one of the top receivers in college football. While Mizzou shifted to the run game once Schrader fully emerged, and nagging injuries struck Burden, he still served as not only a dangerous scoring option, but a leader on offense.
It's been the biggest step forward him this year, an aspect of his role on the team noted by Cook and head coach Eli Drinkwitz throughout the season.
On taking that step into leadership, "I guess it is kind of just grooming, just being around the guys and feeling comfortable for them to let me lead them," Burden said. "You have to earn the trust and put in the work to show them I can be a good leader for this team."
Burden even playing for Mizzou was another story in itself. Before the former 5-star recruit's commitment in 2021, the program was in a desperate place. Compared to his other potential choices of Georgia and Alabama, Mizzou seemed like more of a third-wheel option.
Instead, the St. Louis native stayed in his home state, opting to join Drinkwitz and work to rebuild the program back into a top team in the Southeastern Conference. Two years later, the Tigers are a top-10 team in the country and Cotton Bowl Champions.
A bold decision paid off for the 20-year-old in spades, playing a large role in the complete turnaround in trajectory of Mizzou football. Without his commitment, swinging more 5-star commitments and building a new culture in Columbia may not have been a reality, as Drinkwitz himself credited Burden on changing.
"Two years ago, we were a 6-6 program that, for me, frankly, had a lot of talk but not a lot of results," Drinkwitz said. "And for Luther to choose to come to the University of Missouri when he had some other opportunities. ... I think it's created a place where other players know, "Hey, I can go there, create my own brand and value for myself."
That has given way for the likes of 5-star defensive lineman Williams Nwaneri to commit to the program, one of the top recruits in the Signing Class of 2024.
"I don't think that would have happened had Luther not chosen to come here," Drinkwitz said.
Burden — alongside fellow Missourians Cook and Schrader — has shown young talent across Missouri high schools that the grass isn't always greener on the other side of St. Louis or Kansas City. Mizzou is an attractive destination to be a part of, and the future is the brightest it's been since the Drinkwitz era began.
The Tigers will have Burden for at least one more season in 2024, which could be an even further improved year behind the experience from his first taste at a championship game. The focus will shift to earning a berth in the soon-to-be 12-team College Football Playoff expansion, the next step in continuing Mizzou's success.
Naturally, 2024 will pose its own set of challenges. Burden's leadership role should expand even more with the departures of Schrader and Darius Robinson amongst others, and the pressures of NFL Draft talk will surround part of the conversation.
But if one thing is for certain, you can always count on "him" in the clutch.
