The line stretched to the door across the gray tile showroom floor at Mercedes-Benz of Columbia.

People of all ages queued up, from adults in suits and leather dress shoes to children wearing Nike Missouri football jerseys. 

At the front of the line, seated at a folding table decorated with a black tablecloth and assorted Tigers bric-a-brac was a teenager wearing black jeans, Jordan sneakers and a jersey adorned with a No. 3.

Luther Burden III was holding court, signing pictures and footballs and smiling for pictures. 

Burden has been in Columbia for several months now, adapting to his new surroundings. He’d be like every other college freshman, a little nervous to be away from his family. 

It’s different for Burden, though. He’s the hope of Eli Drinkwitz and Missouri football, the wide receiver from St. Louis who fans expect to become an all-time Tigers great after spurning Oklahoma, Georgia and Alabama for MU.

More:How Missouri's 'off and running' NIL collective represents next step for Mizzou athletics

Burden said he doesn’t go out much around Columbia, but when he does, he sometimes gets recognized by the public. For some, the attention could get stressful, but Burden said he’s handling it well. 

“It’s a good feeling,” he said. “Just for you to go outside and someone knows you and recognizes who you are, everybody wants that. It’s a good feeling.” 

His name is already renowned as the anticipation grows toward his first collegiate football game on Sept. 1 at home against Louisiana Tech. Tigers fans understand the potential is limitless.

Todd and Ashley Good were the first to arrive at Burden's signing event with their six-year-old son Breven in tow for a chance to meet Missouri’s fourth-ever five-star recruit. 

"I’m looking forward to his career,” Todd Good said. “Easy chance to meet a player, it’s not every day you get to meet somebody who could be going in the NFL someday.”  

For previous generations of college football players, signings like what Burden was doing at the dealership would be banned by the NCAA.

Athletes, despite helping schools like Missouri bring in over $38 million in revenue during the fiscal year in 2019, were only allowed to receive a scholarship and some picayune stipends. 

Now, the system has changed. Players like Burden can go after compensation using their name, image and likeness. Missouri already has multiple NIL collectives going, where donors can band together and pay players and Burden has had other opportunities, from signings to podcast appearances. 

The new era has the potential to bring fans closer to the players they watch on Saturdays. 

“Except for university-hosted events, usually you never get a chance to get this face-to-face contact,” Todd Good said. “So the NIL, it’s new opportunities, it’s great opportunities for the players, but also the fans.” 

With the season fast approaching as college football prepares to move out of its summer doldrums, Burden will soon have to prove his talent on the field. He already impressed during spring football, catching a handful of passes, including a slant route from quarterback Brady Cook that he took for a touchdown. 

Since then, Burden has kept working, participating in what Drinkwitz has called “OTAs”, individual skill instructions on campus and building chemistry with his teammates. During spring ball, he earned praise from his coaches for his work ethic and willingness to learn. 

“He was somebody just being a sponge, like asking a ton of questions, very humble,” Missouri wide receivers coach Jacob Peeler said of Burden in February. “He's just a football guy at the end of the day.” 

More:Behind the first impressions Luther Burden is making in his first spring at Mizzou

Burden isn’t stopping with his spring showing. He threw out some lofty goals for the 2022 season, including a winning record for the Tigers, even floating the possibility of playing for the SEC championship.  

With most not predicting Missouri to win a division that includes the reigning national champion, the enthusiasm from Burden might be welcome to Tiger fans who haven’t seen MU win the SEC East since 2014.

Especially, with a young and talented receiver who pledges a continuation of the work that made him a five-star receiver

“I’ve been working all my life, so there’s no point in just stopping now,” Burden said. “I know hard work is only going to get me to the next level.” 

Missouri fans are on board with the team’s newest talent. More and more arrived during the signing and Burden met each of them with a smile as he kept signing and posing, even holding one supporter’s corgi in his lap as a photo was snapped. 

Good explained what it was about Burden that had fans so engaged before he was even able to play in a regular season game. 

“Look at his high school highlights,” Good said. “His playmaking ability. The potential to bring the star athlete, instant credibility. It brings back to when (Dorial Green-Beckham) came as a freshman to Mizzou.” 

Matt Stahl is the Missouri athletics beat reporter for the Columbia Daily Tribune. Follow him on Twitter @mattstahl97.