Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III will enter the 2025 NFL Draft and skip the Tigers' bowl game to prepare, he told ESPN. Burden, who is foregoing his final year of collegiate eligibility, is widely considered one of the top offensive prospects in the draft process.
"I feel like this is the best time to enter the draft," Burden told ESPN. "I'm confident in myself and what I can do at the next level. I'm ready for the next step."
Burden was a significant recruiting win for the Tigers and coach Eli Drinkwitz when he committed to Missouri during the 2022 recruiting cycle. The No. 14 prospect nationally and No. 2 wide receiver in his class, he is the second-highest ranked player to ever sign with Missouri out of high school.
He made his presence known immediately. Burden logged 10 starts as a freshman and collected 45 catches for 375 yards and five touchdowns. He also returned a punt for a touchdown and had two touchdowns rushing.
Burden had 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns through the air in 2023 as a sophomore, earning second-team CBS Sports All-America honors. Burden finishes his three-year Missouri career with 192 catches for 2,263 yards and 21 touchdowns.
Burden's draft stock
Burden is seen as a consensus first-round prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft. Though he played all over the field for the Tigers, his 5-foot-11 frame means that his most likely professional future is in the slot. Burden is at his best in space with the ball in his hands; he has the agility and moves to make multiple defenders miss on a consistent basis. In his most recent mock draft for CBS Sports, Chris Trapasso projected Burden to the Indianapolis Colts with the 13th overall pick.
"The Colts give Anthony Richardson another dynamic weapon in Burden, who's been on the first-round radar since his freshman season at Missouri." Trapasso wrote.
What it means for Missouri
Burden has been the heart and soul of Missouri's offense, and a game-changing special teams player for the Tigers, since his freshman year. His departure is significant. Missouri is also set to lose former Oklahoma transfer Theo Wease Jr., who had 55 catches for 809 yards (a team high) and three touchdowns in the 2024 regular season.
Marquis Johnson, who had 230 yards receiving in 2024, can both return. So can star tight end Brett Norflett, who obviously doesn't play Burden's position but can pick up some of the production that he leaves behind.
Missouri has also recruited the wide receiver position well in recent years. The Tigers signed four-star Courtney Crutchfield, a top-50 prospect nationally, in 2024. He will likely take on a much bigger role moving forward after appearing in just two games thus far.
Class of 2025 prospect Donovan Olugbode, a four-star prospect out of Bradenton, Florida's IMG Academy, will also have every chance to contribute early if he signs with Missouri. There's a good chance the Tigers look to the transfer portal for help, as well.
