NC State's DJ Burns Jr. shoots down football rumors at Final Four

DJ Burns Jr. has been caught up in many narratives, but his drive to do something big for North Carolina State’s 11th-seeded men’s team overcomes all of them. 

At a listed 6-foot-9 and 275 pounds, his size stands out, but so has his play throughout the nine-straight wins in the postseason. Through Burns’ leadership, the Wolfpack became the seventh double-digit seed in history to make it to the Final Four. It's the program's first time making the big stage since the late Jim Valvano’s Cinderella team made it and won it all in 1983.  

Burns has come alive in big moments this season, especially in March. In the NCAA Tournament, Burns is averaging 28.5 points through four games. 

In the Elite Eight against Duke, Burns scored a season-high 29 points in the 76-64 win. Even though the Wolfpack held a commanding lead against the Blue Devils, head coach Kevin Keatts still didn’t want to take his chances. 

“We were up 10 against Duke about a minute to go. As a coach, I’m locked in, a minute to go, anything can happen. He’s over there yelling to the fans, ‘Let’s go, let’s go!’” Keatts said. “I’m like, No, you need to lock in so we can finish the game. He’s about as unique as you’re ever going to get. I’m glad that everybody on the national stage is getting the opportunity to meet DJ Burns.”

Since taking a redshirt at Tennessee in 2018, his career has steadily climbed. N.C. State is happy to have met Burns back in 2022 when he transferred from Winthrop following three seasons, including one where he was named the conference's player of the year in 2022. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever coached a guy like that in my life," Keatts said. "Obviously, the transfer portal is open now. My coaches are like, 'All right, we got to find DJ Burns'. I’m like, 'You’re not going to find DJ Burns anywhere else'."

Burns’ joyful demeanor has captured the attention of many, catapulting him as one of the major faces in the Final Four. It’s also helped him secure endorsements with well-known companies like Adidas, Raising Cane’s, Intuit TurboTax, CVS Pharmacy, Barstool Sports and Manscaped during the run. 

As far as the heightened attention goes, Burns has a relaxed approach that doesn’t interfere with his game. Enjoy the moment, but don’t let it take from his focus on winning a national championship. 

“It’s really cool, but that’s not why we’re here. I’ll worry about that when we get done, but we got to get some wins first,” Burns said. 

From NFL rumors to the conversations about his size, Burns has fielded many questions. While he welcomes them, he'll also bring the conversation back to basketball.

"People need something to talk about and if you want to pay attention to what I look like instead of the stats, that’s on you," Burns said.

Playing against the Zach Edey-headlined No. 3 Purdue will certainly draw attention to both teams' bigs. With Edey standing at 7-foot-4, his matchup against Burns will be one of the toughest assignments. But Edey doesn't have any ill feelings about facing Burns.

“I think it’s kind of unfair the way that people treat him. I think that people treat him like he’s a sideshow. He’s a really good basketball, don’t get that mistaken. We’re going to give him that respect and treat him like that because he’s earned it,” Edey said. 

Related:Purdue Boilermakers say they're playing their best basketball as Final Four approaches

Burns shuts down NFL rumors

Even if Burns is focused on winning N.C. State’s first national title since 1983, he could have other opportunities in another sport: football.

His listed size of 6-foot-9 and 275 pounds is undeniably eye-popping and tempting for NFL scouts. He's attracted considerable attention and the Carolina Panthers would consider evaluating him if he expressed interest.  

He wouldn’t be the first college basketball player to switch sports either. Notable players like Antonio Gates, Jimmy Graham, and Mo Alie-Cox went from basketball to playing at tight end. However, none of them had the size that Burns has. 

But Burns isn't entertaining those questions.

"I think it's cool and everybody needs a story to keep it interesting. Maybe there was too much downtime for people to think, but I ain't playing no football," Burns said. "I'm a basketball player, we're just going to keep it at that."

The narrative surrounding Burns' size doesn't match with the person that everyone at N.C. State knows.

"Yeah, no way he's going to play football," Keatts said. "I mean, listen, he's got a great touch. He's not that bully that you guys think. He's a teddy bear off the court. That's why I get so frustrated when they call a charge on him. He doesn't bully you. He just goes around, he walks around you. I think he's going to play basketball, I really do. Who doesn't want a guy who can really pass and really score the basketball, got a great personality. No way he's going to be a football player. I have not got any calls about that."