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Missouri junior Luther Burden III, one of the top wide receivers in the country, is declaring for the NFL Draft, he said Monday.

“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.”

Listed at 5-feet-11 and 205 pounds, Burden is projected to be one of the top receivers in the 2025 draft along with Colorado junior Travis Hunter and Arizona junior Tetairoa McMillan.

Burden finished the regular season with 61 receptions for 676 yards and six touchdowns and nine rushing attempts for 115 yards and two scores in 12 games. He also returned four punts for 41 yards.

He will skip the bowl game for Missouri (9-3) to focus on preparing for the draft.

“The ultimate goal was to come here and make a difference,” Burden said. “I feel like I met my goal with everything that I set out before I got here. It was a pleasure being here. I will love Mizzou forever.”

Burden played in 38 games at Missouri and has 192 receptions (fourth in program history) for 2,263 yards (sixth) and 21 touchdowns (fifth). He averaged 11.8 yards per catch.

He also rushed 34 times for 234 yards and four scores, and returned 24 punts for 252 yards, a 10.5 average and one TD.

Burden, who turns 21 on Dec. 12, was a second-team All-America and first-team All-Southeastern Conference selection in 2023.

Missouri went 26-12 in his three seasons, including an improvement from 6-7 in 2022 to 11-2 in 2023 with a win over Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl.

“I just want to be remembered as a player who can change a program,” he said, “and give other people hope to come to Mizzou. You don’t have to go to the top schools. You can make your way. I wanted to be different.”

–Field Level Media