When Denzel Burke left state powerhouse Scottsdale Saguaro High in 2020 to attend national powerhouse Ohio State, he wasn’t one of those five-star, can’t-miss studs the Buckeyes are accustomed to recruiting.
Burke was a four-star recruit, the No. 10 athlete and 221st overall player in his class, according to 247 Sports. Impressive, sure, but Burke still had something to prove to himself and his more credentialed teammates, especially after playing only one game as a high school senior due to injury.
Prove it he did. Burke enrolled early at OSU and soon became the first Buckeyes freshman to start a season opener on defense since 1996. His career was capped off with a national championship in January.
And now the cornerback returns to the desert as the fifth-round draft pick of the Arizona Cardinals, the 174th overall pick.
Denzel Burke’s high school career at Scottsdale Saguaro
Burke played his first two high school seasons at Brophy Prep in Phoenix. He started at Brophy as a freshman, the first freshman to start for the varsity team since 1989.
“He’s been a star since his freshman year,” Saguaro head coach Jason Mohns told the Arizona Republic in 2020 before Burke’s senior year.
“He’s always been a great player. Last year, he wasn’t maybe the marquee guy because we had some big-time, high-profile guys in front of him.”
Burke, who played defensive back and wide receiver in high school, faced adversity at Saguaro, suffering a shoulder injury in his first game as a senior. He missed the rest of the season. Burke signed with Ohio State without visiting the Columbus campus. His scheduled visit was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Denzel Burke’s career with Ohio State
Burke spent four impressive seasons at Ohio State. He started 51 games. His stats: 143 total tackles, nine tackles for loss, 28 passes defended, four interceptions, one touchdown and one forced fumble.
He made a major life decision after his junior season. Burke and many of his draft-eligible teammates decided to return to Ohio State for another run at the national championship. And to try to avenge another bitter loss to rival Michigan.
In Burke’s fateful junior season, Ohio State won its first 11 games before losing its third consecutive game to Michigan. The Buckeyes finished the season with a loss to Missouri in the non-playoff Cotton Bowl.
Those disappointments didn’t easily fade.
The Buckeyes went 10-1 in the 2024 regular season before losing again to an unimpressive Michigan team in the regular-season finale. But they shook off that loss to roar through the first 12-team playoff to win the national championship.
Burke’s big decision ended in glory.
Denzel Burke’s strengths and weaknesses
Burke, who is 6-foot-1, 193 pounds, was the 16th-ranked, draft-eligible cornerback according to The Athletic’s Dane Brugler.
“From setting an Ohio State record for true freshman snaps at cornerback to returning for his senior year and winning a national title, his career in Columbus ran the gamut and should have him emotionally prepared for the next level,” Brugler wrote in The Beast, his extraordinary draft guide.
Also from Brugler: “Coaches speak highly of his work behind the scenes. [Defensive coordinator] Jim Knowles: ‘He’s coachable, he competes, he listens to what you have to say … he’s always [responded] to every challenge since I’ve been here.’ ”
Among Burke’s weaknesses, Brugler said he has “only average deep speed” … he “lacks much experience defending slot” … and "his ball production was very sporadic [just four passes defended in 2024].”
Burke will join a crowded secondary room that was enriched with Michigan’s Will Johnson, who was drafted with the 47th overall pick.
Burke, whose parents are from Panama, was in the same Ohio State recruiting class as Marvin Harrison Jr. Now, they are teammates again in Arizona — a couple of Buckeyes ready to take on the NFL.