2024 Trib HSSN Preseason Football All-Star Team: Imani Christian’s Dayshaun Burnett

By: Giustino Racchini
Wednesday, July 17, 2024 | 11:01 AM

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A four-star linebacker committed to Penn State, Dayshaun Burnett is one of the premier recruits in the WPIAL entering the 2024 season.

The Imani Christian Academy star’s first priority, though, is helping his team advance farther than it did last season. The Saints routed Waynesburg in the first round of the WPIAL Class 2A playoffs but dropped a 17-12 heartbreaker to Mohawk in the quarterfinals.

That loss weighs heavy on the mind of Burnett, who hopes to rectify that result this time around.

“This is my senior year, so me and my guys are focused on getting that ring. A championship has been the sole thing on our mind,” Burnett said.

In addition to playing linebacker, Burnett played quarterback and receiver last season. Imani Christian is not a large school. Only about 25-30 players are on the team, Burnett said, which makes conditioning important.

Last season, the Saints went 8-3 overall and finished second in the Allegheny Conference with a 5-1 record.

“We have been lifting every day and then going onto the field for practice afterwards,” Burnett said. “We’re mainly focusing on the lifting to try and get our bodies stronger and keep them in shape for later in the season.”

As for Burnett’s commitment to Penn State, he says it was a no brainer because of the types of athletes they produce.

“I know my position and I know that being a linebacker, those are the types of players that Penn State develops well with so many successful ones in its recent history,” Burnett said.

“And just the ability to play big-time football in the Big Ten was appealing to me.”

Currently, Burnett is ranked by 247sports as the ninth-best recruit in Pennsylvania and the 29th-best linebacker recruit in the country for the Class of 2025.

The focus for Burnett remains on the field, as he says a lot of the team’s weaknesses from last season can be fixed mentally.

“Last season, I feel like we walked into a lot of places and played a lot of teams that we have taken for granted, and that’s what we have to focus on and work on for this year,” Burnett said.

Dayshaun Burnett

Imani Christian Academy

Senior

6-foot-2½/215 pounds

Linebacker/wide receiver

Stars: 4

Committed to: Penn State

Offers: Akron, Central Michigan, Duke, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Michigan State, Pitt, Rutgers, Temple, West Virginia, Wisconsin

Tags: Imani Christian