Tight end Keyan Burnett joins list of Arizona players planning to enter NCAA transfer portal

When Arizona signed a quartet of players from Anaheim’s Servite High School three years ago, Keyan Burnett was the second-highest ranked of the group. But injuries and opportunities got in the way of him living up to expectations during his Wildcat career, which appears to be coming to an end.

Burnett announced Saturday he would enter the NCAA transfer portal on Monday when it opens, opting to look elsewhere to play his final season of eligibility.

The 6-foot-6, 248-pound Burnett appeared in 32 games for Arizona from 2022-24 with eight starts, including three of the first four games this season. His last start, in the Big 12 opener at Utah, featured his biggest individual highlight when he caught the game-sealing touchdown from high school teammate Noah Fifita.

That was one of 18 receptions (for 217 yards) and the only TD this season for Burnett, who missed the final two games and four of the last six because of injury. For his career he had 24 receptions, his production as a freshman and sophomore limited by the emergence of Tanner McLachlan as the No. 1 tight end.

A 4-star prospect in the 2022 recruiting class, Burnett signed with the UA as one of four Servite players along with Fifita, receiver Tetairoa McMillan and linebacker Jacob Manu. This is his second time entering the portal, going in shortly after Jedd Fisch’s departure in January before withdrawing and returning to the Wildcats.