Arizona lands 4-star legacy tight end Keyan Burnett, flips him from USC

The Arizona Wildcats continue to gain momentum on the recruiting trail, adding a big-time player to the 2022 class.

Keyan Burnett, a 4-star tight end from Anaheim, Calif. who is the son of former Wildcats linebacker Chester Burnett, has announced his commitment to UA.

Burnett is the Servite High School teammate of Arizona quarterback commit Noah Fifita. The talented gunslinger and his family have been recruiting Burnett and fellow teammate Tetairoa McMillan, who is one of the top players in the country, to join Fifita in Tucson.

Burnett committed to USC on March 5, but he announced his decommitment on July 3 after a 7-on-7 tournament with Fifita. Burnett had other offers from the likes of California, Colorado, Miami (FL), Nebraska, Oregon State, Utah, and Washington.

The 6-foot-5, 215-pound pass catcher is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 213 player nationally, No. 7 tight end, and the No. 15 player in California. That makes Burnett the highest-ranked commit in Arizona’s 2022 class as well as their highest-ranked commit since wide receiver Boobie Curry in 2019.

Chester Burnett played for Arizona during the Desert Swarm era before being drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in 1998.

Here’s what Keyan said about the UA in his commitment video:

“This has been a really hard year for everyone. I feel like I’ve grown a lot. And as you know, I’ve had to make a lot of tough decisions. Growing up like some of the other kids, I always wanted to play football. I love the game so much. I love every part of it. Offense, defense and special teams. I was really lucky to have learned so many great life lessons through football. With my dad’s football experience, it really brought me closer to the game. He always stressed playing to my best ability. He and my mom were constant support and made my youth sports experience so much fun. What struck me about my first visit to Arizona was not anything to do with the campus itself. It was more about how much gratitude I felt when I got there. I just really felt honored to be there. I didn’t know I was gonna feel like that when I got there.

“This was a place that gave my dad every opportunity to succeed. Walking on that field was like walking on hallowed ground. All of the great players he played with, they are legends in my life. I’ve always associated Tucson with building greatness. Hearing about the Desert Swarm and what they accomplished, it was the stuff I grew up on.

“My dad was lucky enough to play for Coach (Dick) Tomey. He built the program to be the best that ever was because he was such a great person and his players loved playing for him. And when I met all the current staff, I can definitely see the similarities. I feel like they’re gonna help me be the best football player I can be, and I want to play for them. Coach (Brennan) Carroll is a mastermind and I can’t wait to see what he brings to the table. Coach Fisch is making his mark, and the way he is doing that is by being himself and using all of the professional experience to bring Arizona back to its glory days. Except these next days are going to be better.

“We want to build on what my dad and his teammates did. And Coach Pao has just been my guy forever. He’s been building a relationship with me for years. He’s someone that I know will help me be the best player I can be. So when I actually got to Tucson and I looked around in that stadium, something clicked. I felt like I wanted to make Tucson proud. I want to do for the University of Arizona what it did for my family.

“They send out the hashtag “It’s Personal” and that couldn’t resonate with me any more. Arizona means family. It means I can put on for Juice County, for my roots. It’s an opportunity to show the rest of the world just how special this place is for me and my family. With that being said, I’m officially committed to the University of Arizona. Bear Down.”

JUNIOR SEASON HIGHLIGHTS