Michael Burt Followed Heart to Hawkeyes

Omaha Tight End Grew Up Rooting for Huskers

'24 Omaha (NE) Creighton Prep TE Michael Burt. (Photo - Burt Instagram)

Michael Burt certainly didn't see it coming. He couldn't from his vantage point as a Husker fan in Omaha. 

He's happy with how he got here, though. Thrilled, actually. Iowa was home when it came to college. He felt that quickly. 

The Hawkeyes offered the 2024 tight end a scholarship on June 5. He officially visited them five days later. He verbally committed on June 22. 

"If you told me a year ago that I'd be playing for Iowa, I would not have believed you," Burt said earlier this month. 

June was a whirlwind for the 6-foot-5, 220-pounder from Creighton Prep. It started at the Lindenwood University mega camp in St. Charles, Mo. the second day of the month. He camped at Iowa two days later. That's also the day offers came from Miami (OH), South Dakota State, Northern Iowa and SEMO. 

The Hawkeyes, South Dakota, Minnesota and Nebraska offered Burt the next day. Illinois did, too, on June 15. The Huskers received his only other official visit. 

"I wanted to take that official visit to Nebraska to make sure, as an in-state kid, that I would never wonder what my favorite team as a fan would be like to play for. That's why I really wanted to weigh out that option. And that made it even more clear on the decision," he said.

Burt now is viewing the rivalry from the other side. That will include a trip to Memorial Stadium in Lincoln on Black Friday when it's renewed. 

"I will be there. And this year I will be wearing the Black and Gold," he said. 

While still surreal, Burt feels he's where he was meant to be. He loves the fit athletically and culturally at Iowa. 

"I think it's super cool just to experience the sudden change. It's an all-of-a-sudden change, and I love it. I've been a huge Husker fan my entire life. I cheered for the Big Red last fall. To play for my home state would have been awesome, but to experience something like this is even cooler, to be converted into a Hawkeye," he said. 

Burt's cousin, Henry Burt, is a redshirt freshman walk-on for the Husker basketball team. Michael went against the surname. 

"All of the uncles on my dad's side, everyone in my family, they're huge Husker fans," he said. 

His immediate family saw something in him after the Iowa official visit. They understood his decision. 

And that's a large group. Michael Burt is the oldest of seven children. 

"They knew at the visit how well Iowa fits me. So, once you see that, the commotion of being a Husker fan kind of withers away. They were kind of like me. They loved the all-of-a-sudden change," he said.  

Now Burt continues strengthening bonds in the Hawkeye community. That starts with student-athletes with whom he'll arrive on campus. 

Burt joined Iowa's '24 Class five days before Kansas City-area tight end Gavin Hoffman verbally committed to it. They've hit it off. 

"We're already extremely close. We talk every day. It's really nice to have that individual position relationship. I'm excited to build relationships with other people in our class," Burt said. 

He already senses a likemindedness with members of the group. 

"When I think of Iowa I think of less flash and more of blue collar. I think that's the main thing that these coaches look for. They're less worried about the flash and are more focused on the substance," Burt said. 

A summer commitment leaves all of the energy for his senior season in high school. 

"My recruitment is completely closed, so I'm really able to focus on that," he said. 

Burt displays plenty of potential during his junior highlights. You can see the starter kit for success at one of Iowa's key positions, and he's setting his '23 goals high. 

"I want to be first-team all-state, all-class. There's obviously a lot of great players within the state. I don't see any shame in setting your goals as high as you possibly can," he said. 

Ainsworth High's Carter Nelson is among the competitors for that honor. The four-star prospect and the sixth-ranked '24 tight end nationally is verbally committed to Nebraska. 

Burt will be competing against plenty more folks in Husker Nation on the field this fall. He said he has thick skin. He also knows he'll meet up with Hawkeye fans.  

"I run into them every day. Now I get the Go Hawks," he said.