Denzel Burke

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Twitter: @King10Burke
Instagram: @_denzel.burke_

Ohio State Overview
• Denzel is a three-year Varsity O letter winner who is in his fourth season with the program and is majoring in finance
• Has started all 35 games he has played in the past three years and could surpass William White (46 starts between 1984-87) for the school record for starts by a cornerback
• Currently ranks 11th among Ohio State CBs in starts with Greg Rogan (40 from 1984-86) the only other player besides White with at least 40 starts at the position
• Has 28 career passes defended (26 pass breakups and two interceptions) with his 26 career PBUs ranking sixth in Ohio State history 
• Enters the 2024 season in reach of the Ohio State record of 36 PBUs held by Bradley Roby (2011-13)
• Will be among the Top 10 returning players nationally in 2024 in total passes defended and a strong candidate for All-America honors and the Thorpe Award 
• Coming off a fine junior season in 2023 when he earned second-team All-America honors and first-team all-Big Ten honors by the coaches after recording 10 passes defended (nine pass break-ups; one interception) and had 24 tackles including three tackles-for-loss
• Led the 2023 team in both passes defended and PBUs 
• Started 11 times in 2022 and was second on the team with five pass breakups and also contributed 34 total tackles 
• Had an outstanding true freshman campaign in 2021 when he started all 13 games, led the team with 13 total passes defensed and recorded 36 total tackles, including 28 solo stops
• Named a freshman All-American by ESPN, The Athletic and 247Sports 
• Earned third-team all-Big Ten Conference honors 
• The first Ohio State true freshman to start the season opener on defense since Andy Katzenmoyer in 1996 
• His two career interceptions include a "pick-6" vs Rutgers of 23 yards in 2021 and one versus Youngstown State in 2023
• Made 10 unassisted tackles and 11 total in the 2021 win over Purdue 
• Has personal best of three pass break-ups vs. Minnesota and has recorded two six times (vs. Indiana, Western Kentucky and Maryland in 2023, vs. Arkansas State in 2022 and vs. Tulsa and Nebraska in 2021) 

Honors & Awards
2023: Second-team All-American (Walter Camp), first-team all-Big Ten Conference (coaches)
2022: Honorable mention all-Big Ten Conference 
2021: Freshman All-American (ESPN, The Athletic, 247Sports); third-team all-Big Ten Conference

More on Denzel
• Denzel was one of 14 from the recruiting class of 2021 to enroll in classes in January of 2021
• A four-star prospect who is the nation’s No. 8-rated athlete by 247Sports
• Played both defensive back and wide receiver in high school
• Attended Brophy Prep in Phoenix before transferring to Saguaro
• The Arizona Republic’s No. 1-ranked game-changing cornerback and athlete
• Played in one game his senior season before it was cut short due to injury
• Played seven games as a junior in 2019 and averaged 44.7 receiving yards per game with four touchdowns
• Added 337 rushing yards on 24 carries and two interceptions
• At Brophy Prep, helped the Broncos improve from 1-9 as a freshman to 7-4 as a sophomore when he racked up 50 receptions for 719 yards and averaged 84.2 all-purpose yards per game
• Is the son of Deya and Zafiro Burke