Denzel Burke is more experienced than anyone else in Ohio State’s secondary.
As a cornerback last year, he was one of a handful of seniors who forwent the NFL last winter to stay with the Buckeyes and pursue a national championship.
Here’s everything you need to know about Burke ahead of the season opener against Akron on August 31.
Denzel Burke stood out in the news coverage in 2023
After a slump in his sophomore year of college, Burke bounced back last fall.
He intercepted nine passes, a total that put him first on the Buckeyes and third-most in the Big Ten.
Among cornerbacks in the conference who had at least 300 snaps in coverage, he was one of 12 who allowed no more than one touchdown, according to Pro Football Focus data.
Burke made the only slip-up in the Buckeyes’ loss to Michigan, when Roman Wilson caught a controversial touchdown.
Denzel Burke started as a newbie
Due to injuries to Sevyn Banks and Cameron Brown, the Buckeyes lacked depth at cornerback for the 2021 season opener in Minnesota.
This led to Burke rising in the rankings and becoming the first rookie to start the first game on defense since linebacker Andy Katzenmoyer in 1996.
Burke immediately emerged as Ohio State’s top cornerback, earning multiple Freshman All-America honors in his debut season.
Denzel Burke was primarily a wide receiver in high school
During his high school years in a Phoenix suburb, Burke was used more often on offense than on defense.
When he moved to the powerhouse Saguaro in 2019, other promising cornerback talent returned to the Sabercats, prompting him to step in as a receiver and putting him on the radar of Brian Hartline, the Buckeyes’ wide receivers coach.
Due to a shoulder injury, he missed most of his final season in 2020.
Because of his experience at both positions, he was classified as an athlete by recruiting services.
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State University football for The Columbus Dispatch. Follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @joeyrkaufman or email him at [email protected].
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