2025 Rookie Profile: Luther Burden III (WR) Missouri

Welcome to the 2025 fantasy football season. FullTime Fantasy‘s annual rookie reports next present 2025 Rookie Profile: Luther Burden III, the standout wide receiver from Missouri.

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Luther Burden III, a wide receiver from Missouri, entered college as one of the most heralded recruits in the 2022 class. A consensus five-star prospect out of East St. Louis Senior High School, he was ranked as the No. 1 receiver nationally by ESPN, Rivals, and 247Sports and the No. 6 overall player per 247Sports Composite.

Named MaxPreps National Player of the Year, Burden dominated his senior season with 71 receptions for 1,174 yards and 20 touchdowns. Choosing Missouri over Alabama and Georgia, he became the Tigers’ highest-rated receiver signee in program history and only their fourth five-star recruit in the past two decades.

At Missouri, Burden earned First-Team All-SEC honors in 2023 and 2024, Second-Team All-America in 2023, and was a 2023 Biletnikoff Award semifinalist. He declared for the 2025 NFL Draft after his junior season.

College Stats

Burden’s 2023 season was a breakout, with 1,212 receiving yards ranking third in Missouri single-season history and five consecutive 100+ yard games, a feat only one other Tiger has achieved. His 2024 production dropped due to a combination of shoulder/arm injuries, an undisclosed illness, and a regressed Missouri passing game (team passing yards fell from 3,671 in 2023 to 2,535 in 2024). Despite this, he maintained an 85.9% catch rate and faced heavier defensive attention.

2022 (Freshman): 45 receptions, 375 yards (8.3 YPC), 6 receiving TDs; 18 rushes, 88 yards (4.9 YPC), 2 rushing TDs; 24 punt returns, 251 yards (10.5 avg), 1 punt-return TD

2023 (Sophomore): 86 receptions, 1,212 yards (14.1 YPC), 9 TDs; 13 rushes, 75 yards (5.8 YPC); started all 13 games

2024 (Junior): 61 receptions, 676 yards (11.1 YPC), 6 TDs; 9 rushes, 115 yards (12.8 YPC), 2 TDs; started 10 of 12 games

Career Totals: 192 receptions, 2,263 yards (11.8 YPC), 21 TDs; 40 rushes, 278 yards (7.0 YPC), 4 TDs; 24 punt returns, 251 yards (10.5 avg), 1 TD

Measurables

Burden’s measurables reflect a compact, explosive athlete. His below-average height and arm length limit his catch radius, but his elite speed and agility shine in open-field scenarios. Smaller hands are a minor concern, though his drop rate (3.5% over his final two seasons) suggests reliable ball skills.

Height: 5-11

Weight: 206 pounds

Arm Length: 31.25”

Hand Size: 8.5”

40-Yard Dash: 4.41 seconds (95th percentile)

10-Yard Split: 1.54 seconds (90th percentile)

Vertical Jump: Not publicly reported

Broad Jump: Not publicly reported

Other: Elite speed score (88th percentile), 28% career target-per-route-run rate (3rd in 2025 WR class), 0.49 missed tackles forced per reception.

Luther Burden III’s a TOP 15 Prospect

➖10 Yard Split: 1.55 (8.32)
➖20 Yard Split: 2.58 (8.53)
➖40 Yard Dash: 4.42 (9.18)

His speed continuously improved and Burden looked SO smooth during the Gauntlet Drill.

➖Height: 6’0
➖Weight: 206 lbs

Burden had 0 Drops, ELITE HANDS.. pic.twitter.com/CqgqbeuX8D

— Austin Abbott (@AustinAbbottFF) March 1, 2025

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