MIZZOU CAREER: Lettered three seasons (2022-23-24) … 2023 Biletnikoff Award semifinalist … 2023 Second Team All-America selection by Associated Press, The Athletic, 247Sports/CBS Sports, Phil Steele Publications, Pro Football Focus, Sporting News and the Walter Camp Football Foundation … two-time First Team All-SEC selection (2023 & 2024) … in 38 career games (33 starts), registered 192 receptions for 2,263 yards (11.79) with 21 TDs … added 34 rushing attempts for 234 yards (6.88) with four scores and 24 punt returns for 252 yards (10.50) and one TD … compiled 2,749 all-purpose yards … finished career riding a 34-game consecutive reception streak, which ranked as the second longest in program history … tallied 3+ receptions in 32 contests and 5+ catches 21 times … recorded a career-best 11 receptions on two occasions against Vanderbilt (2023) and LSU (2023) … compiled 50+ receiving yards in 20 games and 100+ receiving yards seven times against Middle Tennessee (117 yards in 2023), Kansas State (114 yards in 2023), Memphis (177 yards in 2023), Vanderbilt (140 yards in 2023), LSU (149 yards in 2023), Florida (158 yards in 2023) and Boston College (117 yards in 2024) … scored 160 points on 26 TDs (21 receiving, four rushing and one punt return) … tallied a career-long 56-yard reception from QB Brady Cook in a contest with Memphis in 2023 … added a career-long 47-yard TD reception from Cook against Kansas State in 2023 … carded 2+ rushes on 11 occasions, including a career-high three against Louisiana Tech (2022), Abilene Christian (2022) and New Mexico State (2022) … secured a career-high 68 rushing yards against Massachusetts, including a career-best 61-yard TD jaunt … earned one rushing score in contests with Louisiana Tech (2022), Vanderbilt (2022), Buffalo (2024) and Massachusetts (2024) … registered 2+ punt returns in five games, including a career-best four for 111 yards against Abilene Christian in 2022 … also tallied one 78-yard punt return for a TD against the Wildcats in 2022 … played 1,880 career snaps … teamed with WR Theo Wease Jr. in 2023 and 2024 to become the first Mizzou duo to achieve 600+ receiving yards in back-to-back seasons since Emanuel Hall and Johnathon Johnson did so in 2017 (817 & 724) and 2018 (828 & 737) … represented Mizzou at the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind. … ended career ranking fourth in receptions, tied for fifth in receiving touchdowns and sixth in receiving yards ... was a second round draft choice of the Chicago Bears (39th pick overall) in the 2025 NFL Draft.
2024: First Team All-SEC recipient … played in 12 games, missing the Music City Bowl against Iowa … made 10 starts … did not start against Massachusetts and Oklahoma … recorded a team-leading 61 receptions for 676 yards (11.08) and six TDs … added nine rushes for 115 yards (12.78) with two scores and four punt returns for 31 yards (7.75) … earned 822 all-purpose yards … receiving yard total ranked second on the team … finished third in the SEC in receptions and receptions per game (5.08) and ninth in total offense average per play (1.06) … compiled 3+ receptions in 11 contests and 5+ catches eight times, including a season-best eight receptions against South Carolina … logged 50+ receiving yards in seven contests and 80+ receiving yards three times, including a season-high 117 yards against Boston College … had 12 plays that covered 20+ yards (10 receiving, one rushing and one punt return), including five for a TD (four receiving and one rushing) … scored a season-high two receiving TDs against Vanderbilt … added receiving TDs versus Murray State, Boston College, South Carolina and Mississippi State … registered two 40+ yard plays – a season-long 61-yard rushing score against Massachusetts and a 44-yard reception from QB Brady Cook against Boston College … logged a season-high two rushes against Buffalo, Massachusetts, Alabama and Oklahoma … notched a year-best 68 rushing yards versus Massachusetts … tallied a year-long 61-yard TD scamper against Massachusetts … secured a season-best two punt returns for 40 yards against Vanderbilt … notched a year-long 24-yard punt return versus the Commodores … finished third on the team in points with 50 … on the field for 572 snaps … paired with WR Theo Wease Jr. to make Mizzou the only SEC school and one of five nationally with two players with at least one reception in 25+ consecutive games … also teamed with Wease Jr. to make Mizzou one of six SEC schools with two players with 675+ receiving yards (Alabama, Florida, LSU, Ole Miss, and Texas).
2023: Biletnikoff Award semifinalist … Second Team All-America selection by Associated Press, The Athletic, 247Sports/CBS Sports, Phil Steele Publications, Pro Football Focus, Sporting News and the Walter Camp Football Foundation … First Team All-SEC recipient … tabbed a First Team All-SEC honoree by Associated Press, Phill Steele Publications, Pro Football Focus and USA Today … started all 13 games … recorded a team-best 86 receptions for 1,212 yards (14.09) with nine TDs … added seven rushes for 31 yards (4.43) and eight punt returns for 70 yards (8.75) … earned 1,313 all-purpose yards … ranked 10th nationally in receiving yards, 13th in receiving yards per game (93.23), 18th in receptions per game (6.5), 26th in receiving TDs, and 67th in all-purpose yards per game (101.00) … in the SEC, ranked second in receiving yards, third in receptions and fifth in all-purpose yardage … led the team in receptions during eight games … compiled 3+ receptions in 12 contests and 5+ catches nine times, including a year-high 11 against Vanderbilt and LSU … tallied 50+ receiving yards in 10 contests and 100+ receiving yards six times, including a season-best 177 yards against Memphis … also posted five 100+ yard performances against Middle Tennessee (117 yards), Kansas State (114 yards), Vanderbilt (140 yards), LSU (149 yards) and Florida (158 yards) … logged five consecutive 100+ yard receiving performances from Sept. 9 - Oct.7, to become the second Tiger to accomplish the feat and first since 2009 … scored a season-high two receiving TDs against Kansas State and Vanderbilt … added one receiving score versus South Dakota, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, and Ohio State in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl … registered a season-long 47-yard TD reception from QB Brady Cook against Kansas State ... added a year-long 56-yard reception from Cook in a contest with Memphis … secured the game sealing first down with a 20-yard rush in the waning moments of the Cotton Bowl against Ohio State … logged a season-high two rushes against South Carolina … notched a year-best 20 rushing yards against Ohio State … secured a season-best two punt returns against South Dakota, Middle Tennessee and Arkansas … compiled a year-high 18 punt return yards against South Dakota …notched a year-long 17-yard punt return versus Vanderbilt … scored 56 points … on the field for 720 snaps … teamed with WR Theo Wease Jr. (682 yards) to make Mizzou one of three SEC schools with two players with 680+ receiving yards (LSU and Ole Miss) ... the pair became the first duo to achieve 600+ receiving yards in the same season since Emanuel Hall and Johnathon Johnson did so in 2018 (828 & 737) ... also with Wease Jr. (six TDs), became the first Mizzou pair with 6+ receiving TDs each in a season since Albert Okwuegbunam (6) and Emanuel Hall (6) did so in 2018 … concluded the year ranked third in program history for receiving yards, sixth in receptions and tied for 10th in receiving TDs for a single season … became just the eighth Tiger in school lore, and first since J’Mon Moore in 2017, to reach 1,000+ receiving yards in a single season.
2022: Saw action in all 13 games, making 10 starts … did not start against Kansas State, Abilene Christian and Florida … hauled in 45 receptions for 375 yards (8.33) and a team-leading six TDs ... finished second on the team in both receptions and receiving yards ... added 18 rushes for 88 yards (4.89) with two scores and 12 punt returns for 151 yards (12.58) with one TD … earned 614 all-purpose yards … compiled 3+ receptions in nine contests and 5+ receptions four times against Abilene Christian (six), Florida (five), Kentucky (six) and a season-best seven against Wake Forest in the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl … carded 40+ receiving yards in four contests, including a year-high 66 yards against Vanderbilt ... scored a season-best two receiving TDs versus New Mexico State … added receiving TDs against Louisiana Tech, Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Arkansas … registered a season-long 35-yard TD reception from QB Brady Cook against Vanderbilt ... matched a season-long 35 yard reception versus Kentucky … logged 2+ rushes on six occasions and a season-high three carries three times against Louisiana Tech, Abilene Christian and New Mexico State … carded a year-best 26 rushing yards with a season-long 17-yard scamper against Louisiana Tech in Mizzou’s season opener … posted three multi-score games against Louisiana Tech (one rushing, & one receiving), Vanderbilt (one rushing, & one receiving), and New Mexico State (two receiving) … secured a season-best four punt returns for 111 yards against Abilene Christian to become the first player in program history with 100+ punt return yards and 50+ receiving yards in the same game (58 receiving yards) … notched a year-long 78-yard punt return for a TD against the Wildcats … scored 54 points ... selected the SEC Co-Freshman of the Week on Oct. 24 after recording 76 all-purpose yards and two TDs against Vanderbilt … on the field for 588 snaps … offensive score total (six receiving, two rushing) were the most among true freshmen in the FBS, while the nine total TDs (six receiving, two rushing, one punt return) were second among true freshmen in the SEC behind Ole Miss RB Quinshon Judkins (17) … became the first freshman nationally to record two receiving TDs, two rushing TDs and a punt-return for a TD in the same season … also became just the seventh player in program history to record a rushing TD, receiving TD, and punt return for TD in the same season.
PRIOR TO MIZZOU: Lettered two seasons at Cardinal Ritter College Prep under coach Brandon Gregory and two seasons at East St. Louis under coach Darren Sunkett ... consensus five-star prospect according to ESPN.com, Rivals.com and 247Sports.com ... rated as the No. 4 and No. 14 overall prospect nationally by Rivals.com and 247Sports.com, respectively … listed as the No. 1 prospect from the state of Illinois according to Rivals.com, ESPN.com and 247Sports.com, respectively … charted as the No. 1, No. 1 and No. 2 overall wide receiver prospect by Rivals.com, ESPN.com and 247Sports.com, respectively … also listed at No. 5 on ESPN.com’s top 300 list … helped East St. Louis to a 16-4 two-year ledger with a IHSA Class 6A state championship game appearance in 2021 … additionally, started high school career at Cardinal Ritter and helped the Lions to 16 wins, including a showing in the MSHSAA Class 3 state championship game in 2018 … named the 2021 MaxPreps.com High School Player of the Year and Rivals.com Illinois High School Player of the Year … 2022 Under Armour All-America Game invitee and 2021 Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Class 6A all-state selection … during final two seasons, compiled 101 receptions for 1,832 yards (18.14) with 23 TDs … added one rush for 54 yards with a score and 19 punt returns for 759 yards to record 2,645 all-purpose yards … ranked as the No. 1 player nationally in punt return yards (40.32) … also lettered two years in basketball at Cardinal Ritter.
PERSONAL: Born December 12, 2003 ... son of Luther Burden II and Gaye Union … majoring in general studies.
