Denzel Burke is returning for his senior season, holding off on entering the NFL draft and leaving Ohio State’s secondary with one of its most integral pieces.

In a graphic shared on social media he wrote," This was a hard decision, but I've decided to return for my last year.

"There was no rush for me to go to the league," he added. "I want to graduate and keep developing into an elite corner."

After slumping as a sophomore in 2022 as he was plagued by injuries, Burke rebounded this past fall, reestablishing himself as a shutdown cornerback and putting himself in serious All-American consideration as part of one of the nation's top defenses. Both The Athletic and Walter Camp Football Foundation named him to their second team.

He led the Buckeyes with nine pass breakups and also picked off a pass against Youngstown State.

In the days before the loss to Missouri in the Cotton Bowl, Burke said he had already made his decision, but wanted to wait until Wednesday before making a public announcement.

Many of the draft-eligible juniors have opted to remain at Ohio State. While defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. announced a declaration a day after the bowl game, other linemen, including Ty Hamilton, Jack Sawyer and Tyleik Williams, have all said they are staying.

Neither defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau nor cornerback Jordan Hancock has made an announcement about their future plans.

Burke's decision means the Buckeyes could return nearly all of their starting secondary with the exception of safety Josh Proctor, a sixth-year senior safety who had exhausted his eligibility. Lathan Ransom, who started most of the year at strong safety before suffering a foot injury in late October, announced last Friday that he would be back.

Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch and can be reached at jkaufman@dispatch.com.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State football CB Denzel Burke to return for senior season