USC’s offense was already set to have some new faces in the crowd next season with the departure of quarterback Sam Darnold to the NFL. Now, Darnold’s top target in 2018 is also making his way to the NFL this year. Deontay Burnett declared his eligibility for the NFL Draft this spring with a brief statement released on his Twitter account Monday evening.
“After sitting down with my mother, father and family evaluating my future, I have decided to forego my senior season at USC and declare for the 2018 NFL Draft,” Burnett said. “It has truly been an honor to forever go down as a Rose Bowl and Pac-12 champion.” (USC won the Rose Bowl at the end of the 2016 season and the Pac-12 championship in 2017.)
Burnett is coming off a season in which he led USC with 86 receptions and 1,114 yards and nine touchdowns. Burnett led the Trojans in each receiving category. In 2016, Burnett was USC’s third-leading receiver but managed to play a key role in the offense with JuJu Smith-Schuster leading the receivers.
USC now must replace its starting quarterback, leading rusher, and leading receiver in 2018. That’s a lot of offense to replace for the defending Pac-12 champs.