The truly forgotten man was also the last man standing in USC’s receiving group in 2017. Deontay Burnett carried the passing game and was—to a fault, locked onto by a Dr Jekyl-Mr.Hyde Sam Darnold.
Yet another Trojan down the way from Gardena via the Junipero Serra pipeline, Burnett’s USC journey was not an easy one as he worked hard to gain playing time with big-bodied WRs like Juju Smith-Schuster, Darreus Rogers and Steven Mitchell Jr. ahead on the depth chart.
After setting a USC record for most receptions in a Bowl Game with 13 in a memorable 2016 Rose Bowl Game, Burnett’s final season saw him become Darnold’s primary target and the season with 56 catches for 1114 yards and nine touchdowns.