Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden latest to sign NIL deal with NXTRND
Luther Burden is one of the faces of college football entering the 2024 season.
A semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award last season, the Missouri wide receiver is one of the top returning wideouts in the nation. He earned First-Team All-SEC honors and landing on the AP All-America Second-Team in 2023.
The junior has now become the latest college football star to sign an NIL deal with the football equipment brand NXTRND. Also known as “Next Trend” the football equipment company makes everything from back plates to gloves to visors. The company traveled to Columbia, Missouri, for a full photoshoot with Burden. The 5-foot-11, 208-pound receiver is now on the front page of the brand’s social media channels, promoting the company’s hood and leg sleeves.
A popular brand at the high school level, NXTRND’s Instagram page has become a place to promote some of the top high school prospects. Burden joins Colorado defensive back/wide receiver Travis Hunter and Ohio State safety Caleb Downs as the brand’s ambassadors.
The wide receiver led Missouri in receptions (86), receiving yards (1,212) and touchdowns receptions (9) last season. He also finished the year second in the SEC and ninth in the nation in receiving yards. His 1,212 receiving yards currently rank third in a single season in program history.
Luther Burden thriving in NIL
The St. Louis native has become one of the most popular Missouri athletes in the NIL space. A former Five-Star Plus+ recruit, Burden holds a partnership with Commerce Bank. He’s also inked endorsement deals with a Missouri potato chip company and Imo’s Pizza, the iconic St. Louis pizza destination. He also signed with the Missouri-driven NIL collective Every True Tiger Foundation.
Burden released a special edition T-shirt with Charlie Hustle, and inked an endorsement deal with Leaf Trading Cards. During UCF’s recent stop in St. Louis, Burden made an appearance and was featured on UCF’s Instagram account. The wide receiver has roughly 114,000 social media followers and has opted in for the EA Sports College Football 25 video game.
“..[F]or us, not only our program to back it up but the state of Missouri to back it up through NIL and other opportunities to market Luther,” Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz previously said. “I think it’s created a place where other players know, ‘Hey, I can go there, create my own brand and value for myself at the University of Missouri. I don’t have to go somewhere else outside of the state.’”