Eli Drinkwitz’s Mizzou program has notable momentum heading into 2024. The Tigers notched a 10-win regular season in November, receiving a New Year’s Six bowl bid in December. The momentum has carried over to the recruiting trail, with MU signing 5-star Edge Williams Nwaneri and landing some big-time portal commitments.

Ahead of the Cotton Bowl, Drinkwitz was asked about Luther Burden III’s imapct in 2 seasons with the Tigers. Drinkwitz knows that landing the East St. Louis 5-star recruit got the ball rolling.

Drinkwitz said landing Burden helped show that Mizzou was a player in the NIL game, an important message in recruiting top high school prospects and the transfer portal.

“..[F]or us, not only our program to back it up but the state of Missouri to back it up through NIL and other opportunities to market Luther,” Drinkwitz said, “I think it’s created a place where other players know, ‘Hey, I can go there, create my own brand and value for myself at the University of Missouri. I don’t have to go somewhere else outside of the state.'”

Drinkwitz mentioned Nwaneri and the recent portal signings for 2024.

“I don’t think that would have happened had Luther not chosen to come here,” Drinkwitz said. “And then I can’t say enough about the maturity and growth that he’s made as a player. Last year he relied mostly on talent. Now, he’s relied on preparation.”

Burden enters the bowl game with 83 catches for 1,197 yards and 8 touchdowns in 12 games. We’ll see what he adds to those numbers on Friday night.