USC Trojans Name Surprising Tunnel Captain For Georgia Southern Matchup

Former USC Trojans wide receiver Deontay Burnett will be the tunnel captain for Saturday's matchup against the Georgia Southern Eagles. Burnett had a breakout game in the 2017 Rose Bowl for USC, playing under former Trojans coach Clay Helton, now with Georgia Southern.

Nov 11, 2017; Boulder, CO, USA; USC Trojans wide receiver Deontay Burnett (80) following his touchdown reception in the first half against the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

USC football will look to move to 2-0 to start the 2025 season as they welcome in former Trojans coach Clay Helton and the Georgia Southern Eagles to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday.

USC's Tunnel Captain Against Georgia Southern

Oct 28, 2017; Tempe, AZ, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver Deontay Burnett (80) against the Arizona State Sun Devils in the first quarter at Sun Devil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Ahead of the game, USC has announced its tunnel captain against Georgia Southern. Former USC wide receiver Deontay Burnett will lead the Trojans out of the tunnel on Saturday. Burnett was a wide receiver with the Trojans for three seasons from 2015 to 2017.

While at USC, Burnett played for none other than former Trojans coach Clay Helton, now the leader of Georgia Southern's football program. The Trojans enter the matchup as big favorites over Georgia Southern, and many intriguing storylines are headlining the game, especially with the return of Helton.

OFFICIAL: Rose Bowl hero Deontay Burnett will lead @uscfb out of the tunnel vs. Georgia Southern on Saturday!#FightOn | @Lyfe_Law pic.twitter.com/P14foICG6T

— USC Trojans (@USC_Athletics) September 5, 2025

It'll be the first-ever meeting between the Trojans and the Eagles, and the second time that USC has played a school from the Sun Belt Conference. USC's lone matchup against a Sun Belt opponent came back in 2015 when they beat Arkansas State 55-6.

Burnett's USC Career And Becoming a Rose Bowl Legend

In his USC career, Burnett recorded 1,897 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns. His best season was his final one with the Trojans, in which he recorded a 1,000 plus receiving yard season and collected nine touchdowns. USC ended up winning the Pac-12 Championship that season and finished the year with an 11-3 record.

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The highlight of Burnett's career came in the 2017 Rose Bowl win against the Penn State Nittany Lions. Burnett became a Rose Bowl hero in USC's 52-49 win over Penn State, with a game-tying touchdown late in the fourth quarter. Burnett finished the Rose Bowl with 164 receiving yards, three touchdowns on 13 receptions.

Jan 2, 2017; Pasadena, CA, USA; USC Trojans wide receiver Deontay Burnett (80) celebrates making a touchdown during the fourth quarter of the 2017 Rose Bowl game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

His performance helped USC to clinch their first win in the Rose Bowl since 2008, where they also beat Penn State, 38-24.

Burnett's Professional Career

Mar 30, 2024; Arlington, TX, USA; Arlington Renegades wide receiver Deontay Burnett (21) catches a pass in front of Birmingham Stallions defensive back Chris Jackson (1) during the first half at Choctaw Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Burnett spent a short time playing in the NFL, which started when he signed as an undrafted free agent with the Tennessee Titans. From 2018 to 2020, Burnett was also with the New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers, and the Philadelphia Eagles.

In his short stint in the NFL, Burnett recorded 15 receptions for 210 yards. His best season came in 2018 with the Jets, where he played in six games, recording 143 receiving yards. Burnett has earned his success at the professional level in the XFL and the UFL with the Houston Roughnecks and the Arlington Renegades.

In 2023, Burnett was named to the All-XFL team with the Roughnecks. Last season with the Renegades, Burnett collected 349 receiving yards for three touchdowns, which was second best on the team behind wide receiver Tyler Vaughns. Arlington was just shy of making the UFL playoffs, finishing the season with a 5-5 record.