Ahead of its showdown with No. 18 BYU, the Wildcats will be without members of the roster from both sides of the ball. Tight end Keyan Burnett and defensive lineman Jarra “Bear” Anderson are no longer part of the Arizona program. Justin Spears of the Arizona Daily Star first reported the news.
Keyan Burnett was part of the coveted 2022 recruiting class that included quarterback Noah Fifita, wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, and offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea. Burnett has yet to find the same level of success on the field as the other highly-rated players from that class, appearing in 34 games during his career in Tucson, but hauling in just 26 receptions for 272 yards and a lone touchdown. His best game as a Wildcat came at Utah in 2024, when he made five catches for 76 yards and that score.
Burnett spent the spring at Kansas after entering the transfer portal following the 2024 season, before returning to Tucson for fall camp and the start of the 2025 season. With Tyler Powell and Kellan Ford out for the season, and now Burnett redshirting away from the program, Arizona will need to rely even more on veteran Sam Olson and Cam Barmore, who has taken just 77 snaps this season.
Jarra “Bear” Anderson joined the Wildcats in 2024 from Memphis, but appeared in just one game during his two years in Tucson, largely in part due to injury. While head coach Brent Brennan said as recently as Saturday that “you can’t ever have enough offensive and defensive lineman,” unlike the tight end room, Arizona certainly has more depth on the defensive line with players like Tia Savea, Deshawn McKnight, Tre Smith, and others.
[…] the Wildcats will be down to Sam Olson and Mercyhurst transfer Cam Barmore at tight end, after Keyan Burnett elected to redshirt, missing the remainder of the […]