EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. — Mizzou coach Eli Drinkwitz has flipped one of the biggest recruits in the entire country. East St. Louis wide receiver Luther Burden III has committed to the Tigers.
Burden made the announcement on Tuesday at the Herbert Hoover Boys and Girls Club in St. Louis.
Burden picked Missouri over Georgia and Alabama.
Burden had originally committed to play for the University of Oklahoma, but de-committed from there on Aug. 17, saying on Twitter, "respect my decision... business move."
The East St. Louis senior is one of the top recruits in the entire country. Burden is the No. 6 overall recruit according to recruiting site 24/7 Sports and the top wide receiver in the country. Recruiting site Rivals also has Burden as a five-star ranked sixth overall.
Before Burden's announcement, 24/7 had Mizzou pegged as the 18th best 2022 recruiting class in the country and sixth in the SEC. The addition of Burden will surely bump that number up significantly.
According to 24/7, Mizzou had only reeled in three other 5-star recruits before Burden. The Tigers got receiver Dorial Green-Beckham in 2012, defensive lineman Terry Beckner Jr. from East St. Louis in 2015 and defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson in 2009.
East St. Louis High School is already well represented on the Tigers with standouts Tyler Macon (QB) and Dominic Lovett (WR) already at Mizzou as freshmen in 2021.
Mizzou is 3-4 this season and winless in SEC play in 2021. The Tigers' next game is Oct. 30 against Vanderbilt.