Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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76 MARCH 2024 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY MIKE SINGER Notre Dame is on the board in the 2025 class at the wide receiver position. The Irish just picked up a pledge from a prospect with impressive NFL lineage. Wayne (N.J.) DePaul Catholic wide receiver Elijah Burress — the son of Su- per Bowl XLII champion and former Gi- ants and Steelers pass-catcher Plaxico Burress — announced his commitment to Notre Dame on Saturday, Feb. 10 "I think it's the perfect spot for me," Burress told Blue & Gold Illustrated before announcing his pledge. "The coaching staff, the players there, the place, the scheme — it's all perfect for me. "My family wanted me to make my own decision, and they were confident in me to do that." Back in October, Burress received an offer from Duke — his first scholarship tender — and he didn't see any addi- tional offers come his way until the cal- endar flipped to 2024. Cincinnati and East Carolina both offered him Jan. 9, and then two days later, Notre Dame en- tered the mix for the 6-foot, 170-pound junior. Toledo, Massachusetts, James Madison, Temple, Marshall and Buffalo have followed up with offers since. Burress was probably on his way to earning more scholarship offers with his recruiting really kicking off in 2024, es- pecially in April and May when college coaches are allowed to get back on the road. But Notre Dame had seen enough, and Burress reciprocated. "I'm confident in where I want to go," he said. "I think it's a great fit for me." Nine days after earning his offer from Notre Dame, Burress took a visit to South Bend to meet the coaching staff and see the campus for the first time. "It's a school I can see myself at," Burress said after the trip. "I like it a lot … I got to talk to the coaches and build relationships with everyone. I talked to some of the recruits, went around the facilities and had a lot of fun." Burress notes that he informed the staff of his decision to commit earlier in the week before he went public with his choice. "I talked to coach Dre Brown, coach Mike Brown, Chad [Bowden] and Coach [Marcus] Freeman," said Burress. "They were pumped up, and I was, too. It was a great moment." According to NJ.com, Burress hauled in 29 passes for 439 yards with 5 touch- downs during his junior season. Burress is rated as the No. 85 wide receiver na- tionally and No. 19 recruit in New Jersey in 2025, per On3. His father caught 553 passes for 8,499 yards and 64 touchdowns during his NFL career that spanned 11 seasons. "I'll watch games with him, and he gives me a lot of knowledge," the younger Burress said of his father. "I learn a lot from him. He'll show me his film sometimes and teach me things he was doing. He shows me key things that only he would know." Burress is Notre Dame's first wide re- ceiver commit of the 2025 class. The Irish look to be in the driver's seat in the recruitments of Las Vegas Bishop Gorman's Derek Meadows and Atlanta Woodward Academy's Jerome Bettis Jr. as well. ✦ Irish Land Commitment From NFL Legacy Elijah Burress COMMITMENT PROFILE ELIJAH BURRESS Burress, who ranks as the No. 78 wide receiver nationally and No. 15 recruit in New Jersey in 2025 per On3, committed to the Irish and coach Marcus Freeman on Feb. 10. He is the son of Super Bowl champion Plaxico Burress. PHOTO COURTESY ELIJAH BURRESS "I'm confident in where I want to go. I think it's a great fit for me." BURRESS FILM ANALYSIS The son of former All-Pro receiver Plaxico Burress does not have his father's height, but he does have his confidence and hands. He shows very good speed, moves and smarts. He always seems to know how to get open, does a good job of finding the open seam and can create after the catch. Burress is one of the more reliable players in the New Jersey Catholic League. He's not afraid to make catches in traffic." — Prep Football Report recruiting analyst Tom Lemming