Missouri defensive back Marvin Burks Jr., left, looks through fan Aaron Brown鈥檚 trading card collection during the school鈥檚 Come Home Tour event on Thursday, May 9, 2024, at Chicken N Pickle in St. Charles. The event, for 50度灰视频-based Mizzou fans, featured a panel of players and coaches that included Burks, a Cardinal Ritter graduate.
COLUMBIA, Mo. 鈥 Marvin Burks Jr. fixated on catching the ball. In the span of what couldn鈥檛 have been more than a few moments, that was his impetus, his mantra.
鈥溾楥atch the ball.鈥 That鈥檚 all I was telling myself,鈥 he said.
And he did, plucking the ball out of the air for an interception.
That was during Burks鈥 freshman year and first game at Cardinal Ritter. The quarterback he picked off was JJ McCarthy, then with Nazareth Academy in suburban Chicago, later a college football national champion with Michigan and now with the NFL鈥檚 Minnesota Vikings.
But Burks鈥 first season with the Lions ended up being a turbulent one. Coaches, since dismissed, took his name and gave it to an ineligible player. A perfect season was forfeited.
The interception still happened, though. Burks, now likely to start at safety for Missouri as he enters his second season of college football, recalls it clearly.
鈥淚 just remember it got loud, real loud, when I caught it,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t was just an unreal moment.鈥
Volume, a core memory from that high school game, has been the focus of Burks鈥 offseason. For him, becoming a starter means becoming more vocal 鈥 and that requires him to become a little louder.
The 2022 Post-Dispatch All-Metro defensive player of the year started quickly with the Tigers after enrolling in the spring of 2023. Burks earned 23 snaps in the season opener against South Dakota, recording a sack.
He played 24 snaps against Memphis in the Dome at America鈥檚 Center, zipping around the field for five tackles. His playing time on defense was less consistent for the middle portion of the season 鈥 sometimes 10 snaps, sometimes two, sometimes zero 鈥 but he was on the field for 39 in the regular-season finale against Arkansas, playing a significant role.
Where Burks鈥 role was more consistent was on special teams. He played regularly on both Mizzou鈥檚 kickoff coverage and return units, starting the season doing the same for both punt teams as well. He picked up a handful of snaps defending field goals, too.
鈥淚t just became a lot,鈥 coach Eli Drinkwitz said. 鈥淣ow, I think he鈥檚 more comfortable in what we鈥檙e asking him to do. He鈥檚 got a full year under his belt. He鈥檚 still contributing on three or four special teams but now is anchored down with what that boundary safety position is and how to play it.鈥
More on Burks鈥 safety position in a moment 鈥 his transition to the college game comes first.
Most high school players making the jump directly to the Southeastern Conference flag the physical differences in the levels of football 鈥 their opponents are significantly bigger and stronger than who they faced in preps circuits. Burks noticed something different.
鈥淭he biggest thing for me that I鈥檝e seen was it鈥檚 from here up,鈥 he said, gesturing from his shoulders to his head. 鈥淟ike, everybody鈥檚 big, everybody鈥檚 fast but just information that certain players know.鈥
Burks leaned on Jaylon Carlies, Missouri鈥檚 starting boundary safety who鈥檚 now in training camp with the Indianapolis Colts, to learn how to adapt to a cerebral style of play.
鈥淛C was a real verbal guy,鈥 Burks said. 鈥淗e understood the defense well, and because he understood our defense so much, he was able to look at the offense. ... He鈥檇 understand the offense more, so I feel like that was something I took from him.鈥
With Carlies鈥 spot up for grabs heading into 2024, Burks stepped into the role, and it seemed to click during spring practices. New defensive coordinator Corey Batoon, who coached safeties during the spring, noticed it during a specific practice.
鈥淒ay 5, the game started to slow down for him, being more vocal, communicating with more volume,鈥 Batoon said.
Cornerback Dreyden Norwood, another new projected starter this season, picked up on it too.
鈥淚鈥檝e just seen that Marvin鈥檚 got extremely confident, just with the way he鈥檚 communicating out there,鈥 Norwood said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 making a lot of plays, flying around, being fast and physical.鈥
Back to the position. Burks will likely start atop the defense at boundary safety, meaning he鈥檒l usually line up on the shorter half of the field, width-wise. Joseph Charleston is expected to start again at field safety on the other side, while Daylan Carnell will play the hybrid STAR role closer to the line of scrimmage.
Caleb Flagg, a transfer from Houston Christian, has slotted behind Burks on the depth chart. Tre鈥橵ez Johnson, in his second year after transferring from Florida State will rotate in behind Charleston, while Sidney Williams Sr. is the likely backup STAR.
There could be some fluidity around those roles, though.
鈥淲e always trying to learn the whole defense,鈥 Burks said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 how we can play faster ... mix-and-matching. We take pride in being versatile in our defense in the back end.鈥
Being a starter comes with challenges for Burks, much like slotting into a rotational and special teams role as a freshman did. A week and change before the 2024 season starts, the Cardinal Ritter product seemed confident about tackling it.
鈥淚 weigh more. My knowledge of the game has grown,鈥 Burks said. 鈥淐oming in as a freshman ... I was just trying to learn, not trying to make mistakes. Now I鈥檓 challenging myself, going out there and challenging routes, challenging receivers.鈥
