蜜柚直播

After a three-month stint with the Kansas Jayhawks, the senior tight end re-entered the transfer portal and is back to where he started his collegiate career, in 蜜柚直播 playing for the 蜜柚直播 Wildcats.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been a pretty hectic process, the last few months,鈥� Burnett said. 鈥淟ooking at the whole thing, it was a great experience overall. I think Kansas was great and I have nothing bad to say about the University of Kansas. I met a lot of cool and different people that I鈥檒l have relationships with moving forward. But for me, I have one more shot and one more year at this thing.鈥�

While Burnett was practicing in Lawrence, Kansas, he 鈥渕aintained contact with a lot of my teammates,鈥� including longtime teammate and quarterback Noah Fifita and tight end Tyler Powell.

鈥淚 just felt like the best opportunity for me was in 蜜柚直播,鈥� Burnett said.

Burnett signed with 蜜柚直播 as a four-star prospect in 2022 out of Servite High School in Anaheim, California, and became the highest-rated tight end to sign with the UA since Rob Gronkowski in 2007.

The 6-6, 248-pound Burnett was one of four Servite players to sign with 蜜柚直播 in 鈥�22, along with wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, Fifita and linebacker Jacob Manu. Burnett was also connected to the 蜜柚直播 football program through his father, Chester Burnett, a former 蜜柚直播 linebacker and 鈥淒esert Swarm鈥� member, who was a Second-Team All-Pac-10 selection in 1996.

The younger Burnett played his first two seasons behind Tanner McLachlan, who was 蜜柚直播鈥檚 most productive tight end since Gronkowski. After McLachlan went on to play in the NFL, Burnett had a productive spring and fall training camp and appeared due for a breakout junior season, but injuries hindered Burnett throughout the season. Plus, it was a different offense under play-callers Dino Babers and former tight ends coach Matt Adkins, who was replaced by Josh Miller. The Wildcats replaced Babers with an up-and-coming play-caller in Seth Doege.

Burnett鈥檚 蜜柚直播 career 鈥渨asn鈥檛 always pretty for me,鈥� and the former highly-touted recruit had to 鈥渨ait my turn,鈥� he said.

鈥淭here was a lot of growth and a lot of learning stages I had to go through; I had to take my lumps,鈥� said the 蜜柚直播 tight end. 鈥淚 stayed down, didn鈥檛 doubt myself and continued to put the work in. I鈥檓 just trying to be the best player I can be.鈥�

In eight games last season, Burnett had a career-high 18 catches for 217 yards and a touchdown. Burnett has 24 career catches for 261 yards and a touchdown.

Burnett鈥檚 only touchdown as a Wildcat was the 35-yard dagger score in 蜜柚直播鈥檚 upset win over 10th-ranked Utah in Salt Lake City. Burnett鈥檚 game-sealing touchdown was a 鈥渟cramble drill鈥� with Fifita rolling out of the pocket to his right.

鈥淚 remember running my original route, the play broke down and I found space in the secondary,鈥� Burnett said. 鈥淚 turned and I saw that Noah put it up there. It was a great ball and I was able to make the play, thankfully. That was a really fun time.鈥�

After 蜜柚直播鈥檚 4-8 season, Burnett was one of nearly 30 Wildcats to enter the transfer portal. In December, he signed with Kansas, which plays against 蜜柚直播 on Nov. 8 in 蜜柚直播.

鈥淎fter last year, there was a lot going on and there was a lot of uncertainty,鈥� Burnett said. 鈥淚t was a tough season for all of us. I had some injuries that I was going through. We obviously had an offensive coordinator change and for me, I had one year left and I wanted to explore other possibilities. Turns out, the reasons I left 鈥� and I鈥檓 not going to get into details 鈥� don鈥檛 really exist anymore. I feel like I needed to be in 蜜柚直播. I couldn鈥檛 be more excited.鈥�

Burnett called his spring in Lawrence 鈥渁 unique experience and I realize that I can play with anybody in the country,鈥� he said.

鈥淕oing out there to the Midwest, it was a complete shift for me,鈥� Burnett said. 鈥淭he people are different and the football is just different out there. It was good. Like I said, I think I can play with anyone in the country. I built great relationships with a lot of people out there.鈥�

At the conclusion of spring practices in 蜜柚直播, Doege said Powell is 鈥減robably the most improved player on the entire offensive unit鈥� and noted returner Sam Olson and Mercyhurst transfer Cameron Barmore as ascending tight ends in 蜜柚直播鈥檚 offense. Even after adding freshman tight end Kellan Ford, a 6-5, 230-pounder from Northern California, Doege said tight end was a position of need in the transfer portal, especially since the Wildcats are expected to occasionally deploy 13 personnel (three-tight end sets).

鈥淵ou get nervous only having three guys you feel really good about at the tight end position, because they get banged up so much,鈥� Doege said after 蜜柚直播鈥檚 spring showcase in April.

Burnett and Doege 鈥済o way back,鈥� said the 蜜柚直播 tight end. Doege, a former tight ends coach at USC, recruited Burnett, who committed to the Trojans before flipping to the Wildcats to join his Servite teammates. Burnett said Doege鈥檚 鈥渦ptempo鈥� and 鈥渆xplosive鈥� scheme is 鈥渢he offense that any player would want to play in.鈥�

鈥淗e鈥檚 definitely a players鈥� coach,鈥� Burnett said of Doege. 鈥淗e played at (Texas) Tech, is a younger guy, real personable and has a lot of experience. He played quarterback and knows the Xs and Os. He鈥檚 got high-energy character. It鈥檚 everything you want to play for. I鈥檓 excited.鈥�

Burnett said his official visit to 蜜柚直播 after entering the transfer portal this spring 鈥渨as definitely interesting.鈥�

鈥淭he comfort level and being in the building with a staff that I know and see familiar faces, it鈥檚 always nice,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 enjoyed it.鈥�

During Burnett鈥檚 official visit, he met Miller, who has coaching history with Doege at Purdue and, most recently, Marshall.

鈥淗earing his philosophies and what he had to say, it was like we were talking the same language and clicked,鈥� Burnett said of Miller.

Despite losing McMillan, the highest-drafted offensive player from 蜜柚直播, to the NFL, 鈥渨e have a bunch of ball players (in the UA offense),鈥� Burnett said.

鈥淚t was great to hear guys like Tyler Powell stepping up in the spring and Sam Olson, too,鈥� said Burnett. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to be complementary to each other with Noah at the wheel. I think we鈥檙e going to be dangerous. We have a shot to win a championship this year; that鈥檚 the goal. ... (Wide receiver) Chris Hunter is someone that has developed into a monster. In the spring, that was pretty evident.鈥�

Burnett鈥檚 final hurrah at 蜜柚直播 鈥渋s going to be an intentional year,鈥� he said. Burnett has aspirations to follow McMillan to the NFL and is focused on 鈥渂eing more physical on the field and being more aggressive on the point of attack and carrying through blocks,鈥� he said.

鈥淛ust trying to make all of my weaknesses my strengths,鈥� added Burnett.

Even though Burnett has some catching up to do to learn Doege鈥檚 offense, 鈥渋t wasn鈥檛 like I was on vacation,鈥� said Burnett.

鈥淚 had a hell of a spring,鈥� he added. 鈥淜ansas is a great program, the way they push their players. But it was a shift for me.

鈥淚鈥檓 coming back and I feel like a different player. I鈥檓 ready to go.鈥�