Junior cornerback Denzel Burke (10) holds up his fist to signal an upcoming fourth down. Burke had three tackles and a pass break up to help the No. 3 Ohio State beat Purdue 41-7 at Ross-Ade Stadium Oct. 14, 2023. He announced Wednesday he will be returning to the Buckeyes for his senior season.
Credit: Caleb Blake | Photo Editor
After three seasons as a standout Buckeye, junior cornerback Denzel Burke has decided to return for his senior season, according to an Instagram post.
“I’m back,” Burke said in his post. “This was a hard decision but I’ve decided to return for my last year. There’s no rush for me to go to the league. I want to graduate and keep developing into an elite corner.”
Originally a four-star prospect in the class of 2021 out of Saguaro High School in Scottsdale, Arizona, Burke quickly became the heart of Ohio State’s defensive secondary. Most recently, he was chosen as one of three Buckeyes listed as First-Team All-Big Ten, along with junior defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau and graduate linebacker Tommy Eichenberg.
He finished the 2023 season with 18 solo tackles, one forced fumble, one interception and eight pass breakups, good for tying at fourth in the Big Ten. Burke, who started in 11 of 13 games for the Buckeyes this season due to injury, was also a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, which is given to college football’s best defensive back each season.
Burke immediately hit the field in his first year at Ohio State. Playing in 24 games through the 2021 and 2022 years, Burke made 71 all-purpose tackles and defended 18 passes.
On defensive media day Dec. 26, 2023, at AT&T Stadium ahead of the Cotton Bowl, Burke said he had already decided on his future but wanted to make sure he was playing one final game as a Buckeye if this season was his last — the Cotton Bowl. As he planned, he announced his decision to return on Wednesday.
“I wanna spend this last year with my brothers and win a Championship,” Burke said.
