Toriano Pride Jr. knew he was heading back to his home state early.

So too, it seems, did Luther Burden III.

The Missouri football cornerback, who transferred to Mizzou this past offseason after a couple of seasons at Clemson, is a product of East St. Louis High and was a teammate of Burden, MU’s star wide receiver. The pair, Pride said, stayed in touch as Burden chose Missouri while the corner took his talent to Dabo Swinney’s team out of high school.

Pride said Burden “always” wanted him to follow him west to Columbia, but that didn’t initially transpire. Burden didn’t have to wait too long, though. When Pride entered the portal last December, there was only one school on the mind, and Burden’s recruiting days were done.

“I told (Burden) already, like, in the middle of the season I was trying to come back home,” Pride said. “So, he didn't really have to do too much.”

Added Pride: “I knew by, like, Week 6 (in 2023). I was like, ‘I'm coming back home.’”

Pride committed to Mizzou on Dec. 6, one day after entering the portal. That could prove to be a very important decision for Missouri in 2024, as the Tigers enter the season as a team touted with the potential as a College Football Playoff candidate in the first season of the 12-team format.

Pride is likely stepping straight in as a key player at a position Mizzou needed to find some top-end talent. The Tigers lost both of their starting cornerbacks over the offseason. Ennis Rakestraw Jr. was selected as a second-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions, and Kris Abrams-Draine heard his name called a day later as a fifth-round pick by the Denver Broncos.

Dreyden Norwood, who started in the Tigers’ Cotton Bowl win over Ohio State, impressed enough over the offseason and in spring camp to seemingly lock down one starting spot.

Pride has been suiting up through spring camp on the other side.

He has big shoes to fill, but has made a noteworthy impression.

“I personally don't feel that we lost a step anywhere,” MU safety Tre’Vez Johnson said. … “(Pride) came in and did his job, doing what he has to do. Coach Drink tells us to ‘embrace our role.’ He definitely did that coming in. He’s made some plays.”

Pride played for three different high schools in St. Louis, finishing that stage of his career at East St. Louis. He told local media Tuesday that movement, combined with being “coachable” and a “quick learner,” is what will help him adapt quickly with his new college team.

In a season with bigger expectations in Columbia than perhaps any other in the past decade, that would work nicely for Drinkwitz’s team.

“I'm a team player,” Pride said. “I’d do anything just for us to win. Like, that's all I really care about. I just want to win. I don't like losing.”

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Mizzou is a little light on high-level reps at corner.

Marcus Clarke has filled a reserve role capably for the Tigers for the past two seasons, and will likely do so again in 2024. The coaching staff have been optimistic about Shamar McNeil, Ja’Mariyon Wayne and Nicholas DeLoach, but those three players have limited reps outside of a special teams capacity.

Two highly rated corners joined the team out of high school this season in Jaren Sensabaugh and Cam Keys. Keys, in particular, has been getting some internal recognition early on in his college career.

Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz highlighted Keys’ physicality on the team’s first day practicing in pads. Cooper said he “likes Cam Keys … as somebody who just stood out,” too, specifically mentioning a block at the perimeter during the Tigers’ Monday scrimmage, and Johnson said Keys probably had “the most physical play” of that day. All that despite his listed size of 6 foot, 166 pounds.

The likelihood, however, is that a bulk of the reps will fall on Norwood and Pride’s shoulders beginning Thursday, Aug. 29, when MU opens its season on Faurot Field against Murray State.

Norwood filled in when injuries hit the position last season, featuring in 12 games with 20 tackles, three pass breakups and a fumble recovery.

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Pride has much-needed experience, having logged nearly 500 snaps over 26 games for Clemson, totaling 26 tackles, a sack and an interception.

But, it was time to come back to the Show-Me State for the former No. 2-ranked prospect in his class in Illinois.

He took the long way round, but the timing might be just right.

“While I was at another program, I could just see (Missouri has) got a lot of momentum,” Pride said. “Coach Drink (Eli Drinkwitz), he's got a lot of good things coming. He’s on the right track, and I just wanted to be a part of it.”

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Why corner Toriano Pride Jr. chose to ‘come home' to Missouri football