Luther Burden III path to NFL Draft included playing at high schools in Missouri, Illinois

Burden III was the No. 2-ranked WR in the Class of 2021 before going to the University of Missouri

Missouri Tigers wide receiver Luther Burden III (3) runs the ball against the Massachusetts Minutemen during the first half at Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images / Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Luther Burden III was not the first top-ranked wide receiver to play for the Missouri Tigers.

But he was the best of the small fraternity.

A St. Louis native, Burden will soon hear his name at the upcoming NFL Draft.

Burden has been one of the most well-known players in the state of Missouri since 2018.

When he signed with Missouri on Dec. 15, 2021, he became the Tigers’ highest-ranked recruit to join since wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham. 

In three years for the Tigers, Burden had 192 catches for 2,263 yards and 21 TDs. He also ran for 4 touchdowns.

In December, he declared for the draft. 

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Aside from a year stay at East St. Louis High School, across the river in Illinois, Burden has been a name well known dating back to his time at Cardinal Ritter College Prep. 

As a freshman in high school in 2018, he hauled in 15 touchdown catches. That same year, the Lions offense featured another talented wide receiver in Jameson Williams, who was then an Ohio State pledge. Williams ultimately ended up at Alabama and was a first-round pick by the Detroit Lions in 2022.

Depending on which sporting website you check on, Burden will either be a first-round pick or a second-round pick this week.

NFL.com and ESPN have him as a first-round selection. The Athletic and CBS Sports have him tabbed for the second round, according to the Columbia Tribune.

Coming out of high school, he was the No. 2-ranked wide receiver in the country behind Evan Stewart of Frisco Liberty in Frisco, Texas.

Burden ended up at Missouri in a recruiting cycle that saw him commit Missouri, decommit, commit to Oklahoma and then ultimiately going back to the Tigers.

He helped East St. Louis reach the state championship game in the spring of 2021 — after Illinois called off football the previous fall due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

His biggest game for the Flyers was 10 catches for 169 yards, 2 receiving touchdowns and a punt return for a score against St. John Bosco (California) in 2021.

Burden was a two-star standout at Cardinal Ritter. In his freshman year of basketball, he helped the Lions beat CBC, 57-56, on a late jumper on Dec. 29, 2018. 

That CBC team featured Caleb Love, who played at North Carolina and Arizona.

Incidentally, Burden and Love were both part of the Junior National Olympic basketball camp in Colorado Springs earlier that year. 

Burden was one of 13 players from the Class of 2021 there, including current NBA players Paolo Banchero, Max Christie and Jaden Hardy.

However, his future was on the gridiron, not the hardwood.

LUTHER BURDEN. WOW.

65-YARD TD ON THE FIRST PLAY OF THE GAME❗️ pic.twitter.com/tMrOx9iikY

— ESPN (@espn) January 2, 2022

Burden was an All-American on 7 different postseason teams this past season. He was a two-time All-SEC pick and was a 2023 Biletnikoff Award semifinalist.

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