Missouri football star wide receiver Luther Burden will be available for the Tigers this Saturday. Burden got banged up against Georgia last weekend, and barely practiced throughout the week, but on Friday the team held their final evaluation. Following Friday's practice head coach Eliah Drinkwitz said, “He looked great, he's going to play,” per Pete Thamel at ESPN.

Burden is the Tigers' heartbeat, so this news comes with smiling faces across the entire state of Missouri. Despite coming off a loss to No. 1 Georgia, Mizzou has a chance to bounce back in a ranked bout against No. 14 Tennessee. The Tigers stand at No. 16 in the nation with a 7-2 record, tied with the Volunteers for the No. 2 slot in the SEC East.

Luther Burden is a star

The redshirt junior is one of the best playmakers in the country with 64 receptions, 958 yards, and seven touchdowns on the season. When the lights get brighter, Luther Burden just gets better and a win against UT could mean a bump in the rankings for Mizzou.

It's a tight race in the SEC East, mostly fighting for the second seed, but that comes with competition from Florida and Kentucky, as well as Missouri and Tennessee. Conference play calls for a hard-fought battle and Mizzou will be equipped with the best player on their roster.

Burden will look to continue his historic season with the Tigers, having already notched five games this season with over 100 receiving yards. He's certainly in contention for the Biletnikoff award, given to the best receiver in the nation, so a statement game in an SEC matchup would only help his case. Missouri football has been one of the most underrated and underappreciated programs this year, but with Burden on the field, the only option is to tune in.