After a rough start to his sophomore season, perhaps a number change will put Denzel Burke in the right mindset to finish the year strong.
The sophomore cornerback will sport No. 10 on Saturday in Ohio State's matchup with Rutgers after starting the year wearing No. 5 as one of the Buckeyes' starters in the defensive backfield.
Denzel Burke is wearing No. 10 today instead of the No. 5 hes previously worn this season.
— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) October 1, 2022
Burke couldn't put together consistent performances Ohio State's first three games, allowing several big plays and racking up a handful of pass interference penalties against Notre Dame, Arkansas State and Toledo. He also missed the Wisconsin game in Week 4 with an injury that required him to wear a club-like cast on his right hand.
Despite his struggles and setbacks, Burke's coaches have expressed unwavering confidence in him. Ryan Day, Jim Knowles, Perry Eliano and Tim Walton have spoken publicly on his struggles but remain optimistic that Burke will turn things around as Ohio State heads deeper into its Big Ten schedule.
“You have to have amnesia out there because things happen. You know, you can't worry and dwell on things out there. Because each week is a different challenge,” Walton said of Burke on Tuesday. “So he's been doing a good job of putting it behind him, go to the next play, move on to the next game, and keep progressing.
“This is a long season. We're gonna need all these guys coming down the stretch. That's why we try to prepare everybody and have everybody ready to go. We got to be able to control the things that we can control and keep getting better every day. And working on the mental mindset and toughness of being able to move on from the next play – good or bad – we move on to the next play because you have to go play the next one.”
Burke's first opportunity to get back on track will come against the Scarlet Knights on Saturday. He will start opposite of JK Johnson in the contest, as Cameron Brown is unavailable with an undisclosed ailment.
