Denzel Burke
Football - CB
College
Ohio State University
Denzel Burke was a two-way player in high school, playing both wide receiver and cornerback. He was named Arizona’s #1 cornerback and #1 overall athlete in his class, rated a 4-star recruit and the #8 athlete in the nation by 247Sports.
Burke had an outstanding true freshman season, starting all 13 games and leading the team with 13 total passes defended and also tallied 36 tackles and one interception which went for a TD. He was named a freshman All-American by ESPN, 247Sports and The Athletic, and was the first true freshman to start a season opener for the Buckeyes since Andy Katzenmoyer in 1996.
Burke had a very up and down sophomore season. In his first four games of the season, he gave up 10 catches for 231 yards and two touchdowns on just 17 targets but put it together the final 7 games. Only giving up 12 catches for 101 yards and one touchdown on 22 targets. He battled through shoulder and ankle injuries all season and appears set for a big bounce back season in 2023, quoted as saying, “It’s a personal year for me,” and “I want to prove all the doubters wrong.”
In 2023, Burke started 11 games and collected 24 tackles and 1 interception. He was solid in coverage over last season and cut down on catches against. He made the decision, along with many other fellow Buckeyes, to return for another season in 2024.