Tag: Luther Burden

Missouri WR duo pose biggest threat to Oklahoma defense

Can Oklahoma’s defense slow down Luther Burden and Theo Wease?

The Oklahoma Sooners defense has been the strength of the team in 2024. They’re one of the best run defenses in the nation. But if there’s been a weakness it’s been in coverage.

It hasn’t been bad. The Sooners rank No. 67 in the nation in passing yards allowed per game. At the same time, they’ve been in situations against Tennessee, Texas, and South Carolina where their opponent didn’t feel the need to throw a whole lot due to the way the game played out.

The game against Ole Miss revealed some of the struggles the Sooners have had this season. Jaxson Dart, one of the best quarterbacks in the country, threw for over 300 yards. A number of his targets had plenty of space in the pass concept, making Dart’s job a lot easier. And that was without standout wide receiver Tre Harris in the lineup.

This week, as the Sooners get ready for Missouri, they face arguably the best receiver duo they’ve seen all season in future first round pick Luther Burden and former Sooner [autotag]Theo Wease[/autotag].

The two have combined for 77 receptions, 932 yards, and five touchdowns this season. Burden also has 105 yards rushing and two touchdowns this year as the Missouri Tigers look for multiple ways to get him the football.

One critical component to the Tigers passing game may not be available this week as Brady Cook has been battling a couple of injuries and was listed as questionable on the initial injury report.

Still, with a bye week to get Drew Pyne prepared, the Sooners can’t sleep on Missouri’s duo of Burden and Wease. They can create big plays in the passing game, especially if the Sooners suffer lapses in coverage.

For Oklahoma to get a win this week, they’ll need their defense playing sound coverage on the back end to help support their stout run defense.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.

Saints among 10 teams with scouts at Texas A&M vs. Missouri

The New Orleans Saints were among 10 teams with scouts at Texas A&M’s game with Missouri on Saturday. Who could they have been scouting?

There’s always a strong contingent of NFL scouts at Kyle Field, but the New Orleans Saints were in that number for Saturday’s matchup between Texas A&M and Missouri, per Joey Van Zummeren at Missouri Tigers on SI. Which 2025 draft prospects could the Saints have their eye on?

Defensive end/outside linebacker Nic Scourton is the top prospect for the Aggies, and he has the size the Saints covet at a listed 6-foot-4 and 285 pounds. Before transferring from Purdue he led the Big 10 in sacks (10) in 2023, and he’s seen as a sure thing for the first round. His teammates along the defensive interior, Shemar Stewart and Shemar Turner, are also likely to be picked early next year, and quarterback Conner Weigman is high on some draft boards, too.

But the best prospect in the game was wide receiver Luther Burden. A potential first overall pick in his own right, Burden broke out with 85 receptions for 1,212 yards and scored 9 touchdowns last year, and he’s since picked up where he left off with four scores in as many games. Right tackle  Armand Membou has an NFL future, too, and his matchup with Scourton could do a lot to impact his draft stock.

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3 Missouri players to watch ahead of Texas A&M’s Week 6 matchup

Here are three Missouri players to watch ahead of Texas A&M’s Week 6 matchup

Texas A&M (4-1, 2-0 SEC) will return to Kyle Field for the fourth time this season. On Saturday afternoon, the Aggies will host the undefeated Missouri Tigers (4-0, 1-0 SEC) as both teams look to earn their first significant wins this season.

Missouri’s roster, filled with veteran talent at nearly every position, is anchored by a passing game led by senior quarterback Brady Cook and star wide receiver Luther Burden. The two have connected for all four passing touchdowns this season.

Coming off a bye week, the Tigers should be well-rested and ready to face an Aggie team playing with confidence after defeating Arkansas 21-17, but Texas A&M’s inconsistent offensive attack is still an issue, as redshirt freshman quarterback Marcel Reed has dealt with accuracy issues.

However, if the Aggies can control the line of scrimmage, run the ball effectively, and Reed hit his targets, this should be a close contest that could go either way. Here are three Missouri players to watch on Saturday ahead of the game.

WR Theo Wease Jr. 

While many of you likely thought I would list wide receiver Luther Burden, remember that Elko and defensive coordinator Jay Bateman will likely bracket the junior, leaving Theo Wease Jr. as another target for QB Brady Cook to gain chunk yards in the passing game.

In his final season, Wease leads the Tigers with 287 receiving yards, including 149 yards in the win against Buffalo in early September. Watch for Wease and wide receiver Mookie Cooper to be heavily targeted if Burden fails to get going.

DT Chris McClellan 

Missouri’s safety group leads the team in most statistical categories on defense. Still, junior defensive tackle Chris McClellan, who stands at 6-3 and 320 pounds, recorded seven tackles in the Tigers’ win over Vanderbilt. He possesses the strength and functional athleticism to stop the run and potentially get in the backfield against the Aggie interior; however, who he will line up against matters, as sophomore left guard Chase Bisontis has been playing his best football lately.

QB Brady Cook

This is an easy one. Cook’s performance will likely determine the game, as Texas A&M’s run defense looks to limit the Tigers’ running game early. In the first four games, Cook has been efficient, completing 68% of his passes while facing below-average secondaries, but still very impressive.

While Cook isn’t the athlete that Arkansas QB Taylen Green is, he has run for four touchdowns this season. This means Texas A&M’s defense needs to apply pressure from every angle, similar to the Arkansas defensive game plan. Preventing Cook from getting into a passing rhythm is key, but this young man is tough and tested, so it will take one heck of an effort to get him off-kilter

Texas A&M will host Missouri on Saturday, Oct. 5, at 11:00 a.m. CT. The game will air on ABC and will be available for streaming on ESPN+.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.

‘Luther Burden is elite’ Texas A&M HC Mike Elko praises Missouri’s offense

How will Texas A&M’s secondary keep Missouri WR Luther Burden at bay?

Texas A&M (4-1, 2-0 SEC) will head back to Kyle Field for a Saturday afternoon showdown against Missouri (4-0, 1-0 SEC) a week after defeating Arkansas 21-17 in a game that could have gone either way after being tied 14-14 for most of the afternoon.

A win is a win, and the Aggies now have a chance to start 3-0 in the SEC for the first time in more than a decade. However, as head coach Mike Elko noted on Wednesday during his SEC Teleconference appearance, the Tigers’ offense, especially the passing game, will present a significant challenge for the Aggies’ secondary.

Starting with Missouri quarterback Brady Cook, who has thrown for 946 yards and four touchdowns in four games, star wide receiver Luther Burden, who is regarded as one of the top five prospects ahead of next year’s 2025 NFL draft, has hauled in every one of Cook’s touchdown passes coupled with 257 receiving yards.

Knowing his talent level and impact on the game plan, Elko praised Burden’s skillset while noting that A&M’s defense will have its hands full. However, wide receivers Theo Wease (287 yards) and Mookie Cooper (130 yards) can also break the game wide-open.

“It’s hands-down the most impressive group we’ve seen this year. … Luther Burden is elite.”

“If you shift any type of coverage to Burden, Theo (Wease) can have a field day on you. … They’re gifted. We’ll have to be on our game to slow them down.”

Texas A&M’s cornerback rotation showed much improvement against Arkasnas’s equally talented wide receiver rotation, led by junior cornerback Will Lee III, who recorded four pass deflections in Saturday’s win and will likely be responsible following Burden stride for stride.

Another Aggie cornerback to watch on Saturday is former Alabama CB Dezz Ricks, who recorded five tackles, a pass deflection, and an interception during his first start with the program.

Texas A&M will host Missouri on Saturday, Oct. 5, at 11:00 a.m. CT. The game will air on ABC and will be available for streaming on ESPN+.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.

Steelers land offensive playmaker in new 2025 mock draft

Wide receiver and quarterback are the offensive positions to watch this offseason for the Steelers.

In Week One, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens caught six passes on seven targets. No other Steelers wide receiver caught more than one pass. This is not what anyone envisioned with the new Arthur Smith offense.

So as we look ahead to the offseason, adding another playmaker at wide receiver has to be a high priority. In the latest 2025 NFL mock draft over at The Draft Network, they took this approach for Pittsburgh with their first-round pick.

They opted for Missouri wide receiver to the Steelers as the third receiver off the board at the No. 14 overall pick. Here’s what they had to say about the selection:

The Steelers’ quarterback situation has stolen the headlines the entire offseason, but the one position that I believe needs to be highlighted is the receiver position. Yes, the Steelers have talent, but is it to the standard that the Steelers usually have? With this pick, they draft Luther Burden III, a slot-dominant player who can move to a different alignment and should be a great complementary piece to George Pickens and a healthy Roman Wilson.

A small run on quarterbacks is a big reason why Burden lands with the Steelers. If the first round plays out like this, the temptation would be there to roll the dice on Miami quarterback Cam Ward but we are good with the safer option in Burden.

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SEC Network features Oklahoma in X-Men intro to 2024 season

The SEC Network released an X-Men styled animated intro to the 2024 season and an Oklahoma Sooners star was prominently featured.

The SEC is embarking on a new adventure in 2024, welcoming the Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns to the conference. With the season kicking off, Oklahoma and Texas were featured in a video released by the SEC Network’s social media account on X formerly known as Twitter.

In a play on the 1990s animated “X-Men The Animated Series”, the SEC featured a number of teams, including the Red River Rivals.

[autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] and Quinn Ewers can be seen flying the X-Wing, the jet that had stealth properties into SEC country. The video featured a number of players as X-Men.

  • Jalen Milroe, Alabama, as Cyclops.
  • Carson Beck, Georgia, as Storm.
  • Harold Perkins, LSU, as Wolverine.
  • Quinn Ewers, Texas, as Jubilee.
  • Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss, as Gambit.
  • Luther Burden, Missouri, as Nightcrawler.
  • James Pearce, Tennessee, as Magneto.
  • Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma, as The Beast.

https://twitter.com/SECNetwork/status/1829584490143809902

Danny Stutsman as The Beast is fitting, considering he matches a physical play style with an intelligence garnered from years of experience. The preseason All-SEC and All-American selection will lead the Oklahoma Sooners defense into the SEC as they hope to make a run at a conference title in year one in the league.

The Sooners open year one in the SEC Friday night at 6 p.m. CT against the Temple Owls. Their first SEC game comes in Norman on September 21.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.

Steelers land elite WR in new mock draft

If the Steelers don’t add a wide receiver in free agency, this is the best case scenario in the draft.

It is starting to feel like the Pittsburgh Steelers are not going to be able to work a trade to land San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. This means when the 2025 NFL draft rolls around, there’s a real possibility that wide is the Steelers top need will remain wide receiver.

The Draft Network put out a new mock draft and this is the approach they took for the Steelers. They have the Steelers picking No. 14 in the first round and have Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III falling into their laps.

Here’s what they had to say about the Burden pick:

An explosive wideout with top-10 grades from teams this spring, Luther Burden III is an electric blend of size and playmaking ability worthy of high draft capital. With a George Pickens extension coming, why not add a similarly gifted talent to form a heck of a 1-2 tandem for whoever is under center in the long term for Pittsburgh?

Burden making it to No. 14 would be huge for the Steelers. He’s our top wide receiver prospect in the upcoming draft, even ahead of Colorado’s Travis Hunter and on par with guys like Rome Odunze and Malik Nabers from the 2024 NFL draft.

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Trio of Sooners among ESPN’s top 100 players for the 2024 season

The Oklahoma Sooners were represented on both sides of the ball in ESPN’s top 100 players for the 2024 season.

The Oklahoma Sooners have a number of talented players on both sides of the ball. If there’s reason for optimism heading into the season it’s that the defense is as talented or possibly more talented than the group on offense.

And that’s a good thing.

The Sooners needed a more well-rounded team during the [autotag]Lincoln Riley[/autotag] era and appear to be trending toward that under [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag]. The defense has talent at every level of the defense, led by [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] and [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag].

Offensively, they’ve got the talent to have one of the best offenses in the nation. If [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] lives up to expectations, the Oklahoma offense will be humming all year long.

The Sooners may not have as much name recognition as some of the other teams across the country, but they have a trio of players that will be household names in 2024. ESPN released its top 100 college football players heading into the season and the Sooners had three players land on the list.

74. Deion Burks, WR

Despite playing for a 4-8 Purdue team last season, Burks was one of the top non-quarterback additions in the winter transfer portal. He gives new Oklahoma QB [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] a No. 1 target who can find the end zone (seven touchdowns in 2023) and stretch defenses. Burks had a reception of 42 yards or longer in four games last fall, including an 84-yard score against Fresno State. – ESPN

Outside of the quarterback, there may be no player more important to Oklahoma’s offensive success than [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag]. He looks like a thicker, stronger version of Marquise “Hollywood” Brown. Taking over in the slot after [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag] had a career year, expectations are high for Burks after he electrified in the Sooners spring game.

73. Billy Bowman, S

Bowman has started 29 of the 35 games he has played in his career and was named a first-team All-Big 12 player for his efforts in 2023. He was second in the country with six interceptions (three of which he took back for touchdowns) and ranked third on the team with 63 total tackles. – ESPN

[autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] took the nation by storm in 2023 with his six interceptions and three interceptions returned for a touchdown. Now in his fourth season and third in Brent Venables defense, the sky is the limit for the athletic safety.

32. Danny Stutsman, LB

The senior linebacker is one of the players who will be key to Oklahoma’s success in 2024. An All-Big 12 first-team selection last season, Stutsman led the Sooners with 104 total tackles, 51 solo tackles and 16 tackles for loss. He also had three sacks, a pick, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. – ESPN

Everything’s prepped and ready for Danny Stutsman to have another fabulous season for the Oklahoma Sooners. With improved defensive line play and linebacker depth, OU will get the most out of their star linebacker this season.

Notables

  • In the Oklahoma Sooners’ first SEC game, the offensive line will have to do battle with ESPN’s No. 1 player, James Pierce, Jr. It will be quite the test for the offensive tackles Jacob Sexton and Jake Taylor.
  • One-time Oklahoma commit turned Missouri Tiger, [autotag]Luther Burden[/autotag] comes in at No. 5.
  • LSU linebacker Harold Perkins, who has been on a bunch of preseason first team All-American squads alongside Danny Stutsman ranked No. 14 in the nation.
  • Former Sooners quarterback [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] came in at No. 16 overall, seven spots ahead of Texas’ [autotag]Quinn Ewers[/autotag].

That’s just a few of the 19 players that the Oklahoma Sooners will face in 2024.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.

Steelers land playmaking WR in new 2025 NFL mock draft

Let’s take a look at the Steelers pick in this new mock draft.

It is hard to find much of anything to criticize with how the Pittsburgh Steelers have handled their business in the 2024 offseason. The team brought in three new quarterbacks, three new offensive linemen and several new starters on defense.

But one thing they didn’t do was replace wide receiver Diontae Johnson. So, unless the team trades for a top receiver at some point before the season, wide receiver will be a top need in the 2025 NFL draft.

NFL Spin Zone put out a new mock draft and they went wide receiver for the Steelers. With the top two left on the board, they gave Pittsburgh Arizona wideout Tetairoa McMillan. Here’s their breakdown of the pick:

The Pittsburgh Steelers have popped up this offseason as a team that could end up being interested in a blockbuster trade for someone like Brandon Aiyuk, and while trading for Aiyuk and drafting a receiver in the 1st round of the 2025 NFL Draft aren’t exactly the same, it wouldn’t be shocking if the Steelers took the first receiver off the board next Spring.

Pittsburgh is in a transitional state at quarterback. None of us knows how Russell Wilson is going to work out for that team in 2024, but the Steelers have to continue building around the QB regardless if the guy they build around is on the roster.

Right now, it feels like it’s a toss-up between Tetairoa McMillan and Luther Burden for WR1 status in the 2025 NFL Draft and someone else could always emerge along the way. But the Steelers get a big-play receiver here to hopefully pair up with George Pickens and Roman Wilson.

While we are fully on board with the Steelers selecting a wide receiver in the first round, if McMillan and Luther Burden are both on the board, right now I take Burden 10 times out of 10.

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Steelers fill 2 major offensive needs in 2025 NFL mock draft

Here is our first too soon 2025 NFL mock draft.

Is it ever too soon to talk about the NFL draft? The ink is barely dry on the 2024 NFL draft but we already have a far-too-early 2025 mock draft to talk about.

In this three-round mock, the Steelers select Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III in the first round. Burden is a special player who reminds us a lot of a mix of Deebo Samuel and Dez Bryant. He’s got track speed, a running back’s frame and is explosive and agile after the catch.

Moving to the second round, Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe was available and too good to pass up. All the Steelers current quarterbacks are on one-year contracts this year so don’t be shocked if they don’t prioritize the position. Milroe is a remarkable athlete with a powerful arm and tons of potential.

Moving to the third round, we went with Georgia defensive tackle Nazir Stackhouse. We love his size, power and leverage and want to see him lined up inside next to Keeanu Benton.

This would be a fun draft for the Steelers future, especially to see what the coaches can do with Milroe. Pittsburgh hasn’t properly addressed wide receiver this offseason so we are all for Burden being the pick.

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