Eli Drinkwitz compares Luther Burden to Deebo Samuel

Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz helped lead the Tigers to their best record since 2014 last year. Capping off the season with a Cotton Bowl victory over Ohio State to secure their 11th win and post an unexpected 11-2 finish.

The expectations are now high in Columbia for the upcoming season as Mizzou will look to build off of last year’s success. Success that many believe they’ll be able to replicate thanks to players like star wide receiver Luther Burden, who enters the 2024 season regarded by many as the best wide receiver in college football.

Drinkwitz recently joined ESPN’s Rece Davis and Pete Thamel and was asked about Burden, comparing the play style of his wideout to one of the most versatile weapons currently in the NFL.

“I think for us, the biggest comparable for me is probably Deebo Samuel, and I know that is lofty expectation,” Drinkwitz said. “But just the ability for him with the ball in his hand, you know, when we played Deebo in ’17 he returned the opening kickoff, I was at NC State. Returned the opening kickoff against us and then had two other touchdowns in that game, basically beat us by himself. You watch the way that the 49ers and Kyle Shanahan use Debo Samuel as a big slot receiver, using him in the backfield. I think Luther has some of those same tendencies.”

Burden definitely established himself as one of the best pass catches in the country last season after hauling in 86 passes for 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns last season. But he’s also gotten it done in other departments throughout his career as well, racking up 119 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground along with 211 punt return yards and a score in the return game as well in his two seasons with the Tigers.

“I think the thing that stands out to me is his competitive spirit. With the ball in his hand man, the dude just refuses to be tackled. He does a really good job in the biggest moments,” Drinkwitz added. “You look back at that Kansas State game he had an unbelievable take route the first position that we had to have. He had a little check down that the ball’s not supposed to go to him, ends up making it into a touchdown.”

“You think about versus Florida, game on the line, 4th and 17. He really doesn’t even run the route that he’s supposed to, he just kind of has, he calls it Luther instincts. He knew he was open and so Brady [Cook] threw it to him. He has this ability to understand, he’s always been a gamer. In St. Louis he’s known as touchdown Luther. If you want to score a touchdown, you just get the ball to Luther. And of course in college football you’re never quite sure that that’s going to translate, but so far so good.”

Burden has made plenty of memorable plays already in his two seasons with the Tigers, and with his quarterback returning this upcoming season as well, it will interesting to see if he can reach yet another level as all eyes will be on him.