Eli Drinkwitz explains why Luther Burden faced adversity on the field last season

Luther Burden was a massive recruitment win for Missouri and Eli Drinkwitz. The wide receiver was the No. 3 overall player per the On3 Industry Rankings and a Five-Star Plus+ prospect. He is now in his second season in Columbia and the results are finally paying off.

There is progress being made by Burden because the first two years did not exactly go to plan. Drinkwitz discussed the type of adversity Burden went through on the field. Making a step up to the college level is difficult, with talent surrounding you and being on the opposite end on a weekly basis.

“When I start to think about it more — last season, he faced adversity on the football field for, probably, the first time in his life,” Drinkwitz said during Wednesday’s SEC Coaches Teleconference. “Luther has always been the best player on his team. When he got here, he got dinged up, got injured, fighting through injury.

“He wasn’t necessarily having the success that maybe he thought was going to come. Sometimes, you have to face adversity and how he responded has elevated his level of success.”

Burden played high school football at St. Louis (MO) East St. Louis, where he was a Five-Star Plus+ prospect. He was the No. 3 overall recruit in the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Rankings, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

So, no. It’s not a surprise Burden was always the best player on the field growing up and throughout his high school days. Most prospects in his shoes are in the same position but having it translate can take longer for some.

Five games into the 2023 season, Burden is just two catches away from matching his total last year. However, the difference has been his yards per reception, which has nearly doubled. Burden has 644 yards on 43 receptions, going for 15.0 yards per catch. Add in five touchdowns and Burden is statistically one of the best receivers in the country.

Ranking first in the country in yards and second in receptions, Missouri has really relied on Burden this season. And it’s part of the reason for the first 5-0 start in Columbia since 2013 — a year they went to Atlanta after winning the SEC East.

Some tough games are coming up on the schedule but if Burden continues to perform at the high level, Missouri is going to be a serious threat in the division.