The wait is finally over. After months of rumors that led to an eventual de-commitment from the University of Oklahoma and a suspenseful process in which no one truly knew where he would go until he made the announcement, 2022 Five-Star wide receiver Luther Burden has committed to the Missouri Tigers.
From the day he de-committed from Oklahoma, Tiger fans were hopeful that the explosive receiver from East Saint Louis High School was theirs to lose and that the staff's relentless effort to get him to flip would pay off. Burden's decision gives fans hope that the program is turning a corner in keeping high-end talent home consistently and that the days of losing elite players to bigger schools are over.
A monumental win for Eli Drinkwitz and the Tigers as Burden is the consensus No. 1 wide receiver in the class of 2022, a top ten player in the nation, and the program's highest rated commit since Dorial Green-Beckham. They fought off multiple blue-blood programs for his services including the Georgia Bulldogs who got the last visit before Burden's Tuesday announcement.
Burden's commitment also brings Missouri's recruiting class all the way up to 14th in the national rankings according to 247sports.com. There's still plenty of time to go until National Signing Day, but that way of thinking goes both ways because with Burden now on board, he still has an official visit to use to come up to campus along with other uncommitted prospects and do some convincing. Doesn't hurt to have a five star recruit in ears during a visit.
Burden joins a class that also consists of four-star Texas running back Tavorus Jones, four-star Nebraska OT Deshawn Woods, and of course four-star Georgia quarterback Sam Horn among others. Having your player of the future at all those positions in once class is a great position to be in.
Obviously, the momentum in recruiting and the impact Luther Burden's pledge has is great. Missouri is on pace to finish with the highest rated recruiting class in school history for the second year in a row and getting a recruit as highly touted as Burden who also happens to be from the fertile recruiting ground of Saint Louis good PR and is the type of pickup that will make national media and anyone who is paying attention go, "Missouri got him!?".
Burden's commitment also couldn't come at a better time given the point we're at in Missouri's season. So far, Missouri's record has fallen a bit below fan expectations as the Tigers sit at 3-4 in Eli Drinkwitz's second year. Some good news was really needed and really, Burden's commitment is the biggest win Missouri fans could ask for on or off the field.
Whether you're a believer in Drinkwitz or not, there's no denying that he can hang is hat on his recruiting and if there is any hope for the Tigers succeeding in the future it'll be because of the talent Drinkwitz is bringing in. Drinkwitz has talked about closing the talent gap in the SEC over and over and you can't do that more effectively than earning the pledge of a five-star high school recruit.