Luther Burden III arrived at Missouri in the 2022 recruiting class as a Five-Star Plus+ recruit and the No. 1 overall receiver prospect from East St. Louis High School, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. By signing with the Tigers, Burden bucked a trend of other elite recruits from the St. Louis area heading outside of the Show-Me State. "I want to be the first," Burden said after he signed with the Tigers. “You know how big recruits in St. Louis, they all go to places like the Georgias, the Alabamas, I mean I just want to start a trend here in St. Louis for the younger people with talent in front of me ... to stay home and take our talents to Missouri.” Burden made an instant impact for the Tigers, starting 10 games and finishing the 2022 season with 45 catches, 375 yards and five touchdowns through the air, 88 yards and two touchdowns on the ground and a punt-return touchdown. Burden was named the MaxPreps Player of the Year during his senior year of high school after leading East St. Louis to the Illinois Class 6A State Championship game, falling short of the title by one point. Burden's father, Luther Burden Jr., was star basketball player at Saint Louis Univrsity.