Four-Star Cornerback Denzel Burke Commits to Ohio State

By Zack Carpenter on May 24, 2020 at 3:42 pm
Denzel Burke
Denzel Burke (Blair Angulo/247Sports)
GRAAAAAAAAAAY BOX
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Kerry Coombs and Co. might have just completed their defensive backs haul for the 2021 class.

Four-star athlete Denzel Burke, a 6-foot, 190-pound cornerback out of Arizona powerhouse Saguaro High School, has committed to Ohio State.

Following the April commitment of safety Jantzen Dunn and the March commitments of cornerbacks Jakailin Johnson and Devonta Smith and slot corner/safety Andre Turrentine, Burke is potentially the final defensive back in Ohio State's first recruiting class since Coombs' return to Columbus – though the Buckeyes may not be done on that front just yet. (Jaylen Johnson, as we've noted often, is likely to transition to outside linebacker as a Buckeye.)

The Burke File

  • Class: 2021
  • Size: 6-foot/190 lbs
  • Pos: CB
  • School: Saguaro High School (Scottsdale, Ariz.)
  • Composite Rating: ★★★★
  • Composite Rank: 7 (ATH)

Just like three of the other four defensive backs (with the exception of Smith), this was far from a solo effort from Coombs. Ryan Day and Corey Dennis were also instrumental in Burke's recruitment. A strong relationship between those three and Burke was established via consistent communication after Day himself offered Burke on Jan. 27. 

During the initial stages of Burke's recruitment, the Buckeyes were unsure of what position they wanted Burke to play if he ever joined the scarlet and gray. He told Eleven Warriors that he was being recruited by Day and his staff as an athlete, as the coaches saw him as either a receiver or cornerback. 

By spring, though, it was crystal clear that Ohio State viewed Burke as a defensive back – specifically a cornerback – and his recruitment ramped up. 

Burke was planning to come to Columbus for a spring practice in either March or April, but the COVID-19-induced shutdown prevented that from happening.

OHIO STATE 2021 COMMITS
NAME POSITION OVERALL RANKING POSITION RANKING DATE OF COMMITMENT
JACK SAWYER DE No. 3 No. 3 FEBRUARY 3, 2019
KYLE MCCORD QB No. 26 No. 3 (PRO-STYLE) APRIL 30, 2019
JAYDEN BALLARD WR No. 68 No. 11 JUNE 21, 2019
BEN CHRISTMAN OT No. 104 No. 15 JUNE 26, 2019
REID CARRICO LB No. 70 No. 2 (ILB) SEPTEMBER 10, 2019
MARVIN HARRISON JR. WR No. 59 No. 8 OCTOBER 31, 2019
SAM HART TE No. 373 No. 16 DECEMBER. 30, 2019
JAYLEN JOHNSON S No. 346 No. 23 JANUARY 7, 2020
DONOVAN JACKSON OG No. 21 No. 1 JANUARY 8, 2020
MIKE HALL DT No. 57 No. 5 FEBRUARY 1, 2020
JAKAILIN JOHNSON CB No. 43 No. 4 MARCH 15, 2020
DEVONTA SMITH CB No. 395 No. 30 MARCH 16, 2020
EVAN PRYOR RB No. 84 No. 5 MARCH 16, 2020
ANDRE TURRENTINE S No. 141 No. 4 MARCH 17, 2020
TREVEYON HENDERSON RB No. 19 No. 2 MARCH 27, 2020
TUNMISE ADELEYE SDE No. 30 No. 4 APRIL 15, 2020
JANTZEN DUNN S No. 205 No. 11 APRIL 20, 2020
JESSE MIRCO P N/A N/A MAY 6, 2020
DENZEL BURKE ATH No. 183 No. 7 (ATH) MAY 24, 2020

That put Burke's potential commitment to Ohio State in a holding pattern, as the Buckeyes rarely accept a commitment without a visit, and Burke has still not visited campus outside of virtual visits. So the fact that Ohio State accepted Burke's commitment, when it would not accept the commitments of other players (specifically California cornerback Jaylin Davies) without a visit says plenty about how the program views him.

It also says a lot about how quickly Ohio State is able to make impressions on the recruiting trail. The Buckeyes cruised past Colorado, USC, Washington and Oregon, the other four programs in a final five list he released on May 12, the latter three of which Burke told us in January had established the best relationships with him to that point.

Because Ohio State proved to be the best relationship-builder here, Burke has become the Buckeyes' 19th commitment in the class as they continue to speed toward securing the No. 1-ranked class in the country for the first time in the modern recruiting era.

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