Denzel Burke has confidence, talent to be Ohio State star

COLUMBUS — Not every football player is cut out to be a cornerback but Denzel Burke knew he was.

The Ohio State freshman knew that before he started really playing the position. He was primarily playing wide receiver at Scottsdale (Ariz.) powerhouse Saguaro High School when Buckeyes receivers coach Brian Hartline began courting him on Ohio State’s behalf.

“Coach Hartline first recruited me as a receiver,” Burke said Wednesday night. “I told him I wanted to play corner and so he connected me with [Buckeyes defensive coordinator Kerry] Coombs and [Coombs] gave me the offer. It’s been a blessing ever since.

“I’ve always loved corner.”

Loving the cornerback position and knowing how to play are two vastly different things. Burke — who said receiver was a “fun” thing to do — has learned how to play the spot quickly. That began before he arrived in Columbus in January. The 6-foot-1, 192-pound athlete suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in October of his senior season and rather than pouting about it, he leaned into the art of playing another position.

“When I got hurt, I literally grinded [playing] defensive back the whole year,” Burke said. “Just prepping and doing my thing. When I came here I just applied the technique.”

And he’s doing it very, very well. Burke has been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise dreary start for the Ohio State defense. It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows though. When Denzel Burke got the nod as a starting cornerback in his first game for the Buckeyes, he was targeted early and often by the Minnesota Golden Gophers offense. There were some ups and there were some downs and he admits he had some jitters heading into that Thursday night game in the Twin Cities.

“I was pretty nervous going into that game,” Burke said. “I just didn’t know what to expect and I wanted to just out there and ball out, trust my coaches and the play calls they were going to make. It was a solid game, but I obviously could have done better in certain areas.”

Burke has done better since. He’s broken up six passes on the year and become a go-to guy for Ohio State. He has been leaned on by his teammates and his coaches who rave about his performance and attitude.

“What Denzel has done since he got here,” Ryan Day said Thursday. “Is have a very professional attitude. He’s worked very hard and is very competitive.

“I think it was maybe the first or second day of practice and he made an interception and all of a sudden you notice a guy like that but then he keeps bringing it. As a young player, to show consistency is the challenge. Kerry and Matt [Barnes] have done an excellent job getting him ready with very little experience at the position. [We] are very excited about his future.”

No matter how bright the future is, focusing too much on that robs the present. Ohio State has needed Denzel Burke to step up and become not just a go-to guy on the defense but also a leader along with some other young players. The Buckeyes defense has been excoriated and shamed after subpar performances but Burke exudes confidence, like a number of the BIA members that came before him. Part of that comes from being forced to line up every day against two of the country’s best receivers.

Burke has never — not once — backed down from that challenge. He’s using it to his advantgage.

“Garrett [Wilson] and Chris [Olave], in my opinion, are the two best receivers in the nation,” he said. “They’re going to get me better. Going against other teams, I don’t worry too much. I kind of feel settled in. What they’re going to give me isn’t what Chris, Garret and the rest of the guys here are going to give me.”

As Ryan Day said, for Burke and his teammates, consistency is the key. That’s the goal day in and day out, especially for a young defensive back still learning, still trying to get better.

“We’re all working hard, we all obviously want to be consistent,” he said. “But not everything is going to be perfect.”

Effort can be perfect. That’s where Burke has made his mark on the Ohio State defense and the edge he brings to the cornerback position is one thing that makes him seem natural at it. Being a great cornerback requires attitude and confidence as much as it does footwork and ball skills. That’s what he’s trying to bring every single snap he plays.

“Physicality,” Denzel Burke said. “Always having a presence at the line. I’m just letting them know that [I’m] the top dog out on the field.”

Burke is not surprised by his success, even if most didn’t expect it.

“It’s a testament to all the hard work I’ve put in my whole life,” he said. “I work my butt off and I just want to keep going, keep going harder. I’ve still got a lot to prove.”

Denzel Burke has proven he’s ready to be a standout cornerback for Ohio State already.

The next steps won’t be a surprise to anyone.