FRESHMAN PHENOM
A receiver in high school, Burke has made instant impact for Buckeyes as cornerback
Before Denzel Burke emerged on the scene at Ohio State, he made a similar swift first impression in high school. It was spring 2019 when a handful of players were out in T-shirts and shorts for a workout at Saguaro High School.
Burke had recently transferred to the football powerhouse in Scottsdale, Arizona, but he wasn’t intimidated by matching up against the program’s best players as they ran routes against each other.
He remembers starting off in coverage and breaking up a pass. Then he switched to receiver and caught one.
When Sabercats coach Jason Mohns looks back on the session, he sees it as an early glimpse of Burke’s competitiveness. He was facing skill talent that included Kelee Ringo, a cornerback who would end up at Georgia, and Matt Polk, a wide receiver who would head to Oklahoma State.
“There was no back-down from those guys,” Mohns said. “There was no like, ‘I’m the new guy, and I’m just going to try to fit in and blend in and not ruffle any feathers.’ He was going right at those guys. It was awesome.”
Burke carried that mindset to Columbus, where he has become a potential star and integral piece of the Buckeyes’ improved defense this fall, stepping up as their top cover cornerback.
Teams have tried testing the freshman, but he has held his own and hasn’t allowed a touchdown. In recent weeks, he’s contained receivers such as Purdue’s David Bell, a Biletnikoff Award finalist, and Penn State’s Jahan Dotson.
When the Buckeyes routed Michigan State last weekend, he broke up a pair of passes. He leads the team with 10 breakups.
A self-belief propelled him to this stage, a trait he feels he must carry to excel at his spot in the secondary. “We kept talking and talking, basically thinking about offering the guy as a receiver and he goes, ‘Well, coach, I appreciate it, but I’m going to be a DB.’ ”
“You have to,” Burke said, “and if you don’t, you’ll be torn up out there.”
Burke’s confidence comes despite limited playing time at cornerback. In high school, he more often lined up at wide receiver.
His prep career began as a defensive back as a freshman at Brophy Prep in Phoenix, but he moved to the offensive side of the ball the following season.
After transferring to Saguaro, he remained at receiver as a junior. The team had entrenched starters at cornerback in seniors Jacobe Covington and Ringo. Covington was also a blue-chip recruit and later signed with Washington.
“We really had more of a need on offense,” Mohns said.
His 12 receptions for 313 yards and four touchdowns helped him draw interest from schools, including Ohio State.
Wide receivers coach Brian Hartline was the first assistant from the Buckeyes’ coaching staff to approach him following the season in 2019.
“We kept talking and talking,” Hartline recalled, “basically thinking about offering the guy as a receiver and he goes, ‘Well, coach, I appreciate it, but I’m going to be a DB.’ ”
Hartline then set him up with defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs, and he committed by spring 2020.
Though expecting to be at cornerback as a senior, he suffered a torn shoulder labrum in the first game and missed the rest of the season.
“When you got it, you got it,” said Bryant Westbrook, a former NFL cornerback for six seasons and the defensive backs coach at Saguaro. “You don’t need 25 games.”
Westbrook said Burke’s natural talent was evident in practices. While he was primarily a receiver in 2019, he split time between the positions during the week and showed a technique that was “immaculate,” as Westbrook described it. He was smooth and fluid as he would backpedal to cover a receiver.
“I think that’s one of the reasons why he’s excelling,” Westbrook said, “because his technique is so good.”
Burke thrived in those practices. They gave him opportunities against teammates who were as talented as anyone he would face on Friday nights.
“Saguaro kind of gave me my edge,” he said. “I didn’t really have that leaving Brophy. It just gave me a little feeling of
what college would be like. You have to go there and compete and nothing will be given to you.”
Since middle school, Burke also spent a lot of time with private trainers. His father, Zafiro, who played baseball growing up in Panama, wanted to ensure his son had opportunities to develop in a sport he had never taken up.
Among those he worked out with were Martay Jenkins, a former Arizona Cardinals wide receiver, and Will Sullivan, who has trained several NFL receivers and defensive backs, including former All-pro cornerback Darrelle Revis.
“That was the key,” Zafiro said. “We spent more time training than actually playing the game.”
Burke has started since the season opener at Minnesota, the Buckeyes’ first true freshman to do so on defense since linebacker Andy Katzenmoyer in 1996.
His readiness became a pleasant surprise for Ohio State, which was without banged-up veterans Sevyn Banks and Cameron Brown at the onset.
“We knew he was talented,” coach Ryan Day said, “but didn’t know he’d be able to make the impact that he’s had so far.”
A revelation in the secondary, he’s played the second-most snaps for the Buckeyes’ defense this season behind Ronnie Hickman, according to Pro Football Focus.
Burke admired wide receivers growing up. Desean Jackson was once his favorite NFL player, but this side of the ball is where he saw himself after high school.
His size played a role. He’s listed at 6 feet 1 and 192 pounds, a frame that is more fitted for corner at the college or professional level.
“I think kids look at projecting to Sunday, not just projecting to Saturday,” Mohns said. “If you’re 6-foot-4 and long and all that, it’s like, ‘Hey, I’m going to keep playing offense and make a lot of money.’ But if you’re 6 foot, you’re like, ‘I’m going to have a better chance to take this thing to the highest level if I play defense.’ I think it was a little bit of that.”
But Burke has also always loved a challenge. He views cornerback as the “hardest position” in the sport, often isolated against a top receiver. He embraces it. You can’t hide.
“I just feel like I have way more fun out there,” he said, “just locking the receiver down.”
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Contact him at jkaufman@dispatch.com or on Twitter @joeyrkaufman.