Appalachian State tight end Barrett Burns gives inconsistent passing game a boost

Only eight of the nation’s 128 Football Bowl Subdivision programs have a tight end leading his team in receiving yards, and four of those eight schools are Sun Belt Conference members.

Appalachian State’s Barrett Burns has developed into a prototypical tight end, but there was no mistaking him for anything but a wide receiver when he lined up outside the hash marks as a 6-foot-4, 210-pound high school junior.

“He was a big body playing wideout, but we knew he had a great skill set,” Appalachian head coach Scott Satterfield said. “He’s more of that wide receiver playing tight end, but we’ve asked him to do a ton of blocking, and he’s been great at that. He’s been every bit the player we wanted him to be when we recruited him.”

Now a 250-pound senior with the Mountaineers, a dinged-up Burns leads Appalachian State (3-2, 1-0) with 170 receiving yards on 10 catches heading into its nationally televised Sun Belt game at La.-Lafayette (2-3, 1-1) Wednesday night (8 p.m., ESPN2).

With injuries and inexperience contributing to limited production from Appalachian’s wide receivers, quarterback Taylor Lamb has relied more heavily on Burns. Whether or not he's healthy enough to play a significant role, the team’s inconsistent passing game could have opportunities to shine while facing a Lafayette defense that allows an average of 298 yards per game through the air.

“We have to be able to hit some of those balls down the field, and we’ve been lacking in the big play,” Satterfield said. “We’re completing some balls underneath, getting some first downs, but we have to stretch the field and get some touchdowns and some big plays in order to help our offense.”

Appalachian State moved forward from its 11-2 season in 2015 without leading receivers Simms McElfresh and Malachi Jones, who totaled 63 catches for 929 yards, but Burns actually led the team with eight touchdown receptions despite making just 15 catches for 163 yards.

Burns understood he was going from one run-oriented program to another when he committed to Appalachian State as an offensive standout at Etowah High in northwest Georgia. He played receiver as a junior and added 10 pounds to reach 220 as a senior, when he worked primarily at tight end but still split out wide in many instances.

That team’s top option was running back Devonte Wheaton, who signed with Georgia Southern before moving on to Division III LaGrange, and Burns finished his senior year with five touchdowns and 220 yards on 22 catches. He redshirted as an Appalachian State newcomer before putting up similar numbers as a redshirt freshman, making 22 catches for 205 yards in only nine games.

“I didn’t play true tight end until I got down here, and the transition was tough,” Burns said. “Putting my hand in the dirt, blocking, my footwork was kind of a mess. It was a struggle, and it took me a while to get used to, but I finally have. I feel like I’ve made huge strides.”

This story was originally published October 11, 2016 at 7:29 PM with the headline "Appalachian State tight end Barrett Burns gives inconsistent passing game a boost."