Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM MARCH 2025 55 2025 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY KYLE KELLY C hristopher Burgess Jr. took the un- conventional route when he revealed his verbal commitment to Notre Dame on Jan. 6, 2024, during the 2024 All- American Bowl. In the current college football re- cruiting climate, usually, when a pros- pect announces a commitment date, they have made a private commitment to their school of choice and want to get things in order before publicizing it. Or, at the very least, they have a pretty good idea of where they will choose. That was not the case with Chicago Simeon's Burgess. When the 2025 class four-star defen- sive lineman posted Nov. 14, 2023, that he would be making a declaration dur- ing the All-American Bowl, there was no clear-cut leader. Notre Dame and Ohio State had an edge for On3's No. 6 defensive lineman and No. 66 over- all player in the 2025 class. Meanwhile, schools like Michigan, LSU and Ala- bama were also in the picture. Burgess' recruitment came down to the wire. So much so that when On3's No. 3 prospect in Illinois flew out to San Antonio a few days before his decision, he still didn't have his mind made up. After a few days of hard delibera- tion and careful conversations with the Notre Dame coaching staff members and program icons like Bryant Young, Burgess pledged to the Irish. "They made that last push on Thurs- day on Zoom," Burgess told On3 on Jan. 6, 2024. "They gave me a reason to come there. Marcus Freeman is building something special at Notre Dame." Still, in the days that followed, Bur- gess second-guessed himself. "At first, a week after I committed, I was like, 'Is this the right place for me? Do I belong here?" Burgess told Blue & Gold Illustrated during an interview in October 2024. As he discovered, he did belong in South Bend. All it took was some reas- surance. Sometime after Burgess' commit- ment, following a Simeon football workout, head coach Sinque Turner gave a speech that profoundly affected Burgess. After hearing it, he personally solidified his Notre Dame commitment. "He said, 'Love whoever loves you, basically,'" said Burgess, recalling Turn- er's speech. "Notre Dame has shown me a bunch of love. That's my favorite type of love. After that, I was completely locked in. Nobody could turn me away from Notre Dame." Burgess verified that statement by signing with the program in December. He will arrive on campus in June and expects to compete for the program he fell in love with. "I feel like I can start as a freshman," he said. "There's always going to be one guy you're battling." ✦ Burgess chose the Fighting Irish over Alabama, LSU, Michigan and Ohio State. PHOTO COURTESY ON3 Christopher Burgess Jr. Stays Locked In With Notre Dame CHRISTOPHER BURGESS JR. DEFENSIVE END 6-3 ∙ 245 SIMEON CAREER ACADEMY CHICAGO RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE Industry ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 53 8 4 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 66 6 3 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 69 11 3 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 226 22 5 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 36 4 2 STATISTICS • Posted 101 tackles (51 solo), 8 stops for loss, 5 sacks, 8 quarterback hurries, 1 pass broken up, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery in 11 games while playing linebacker in 2024. • Only played in six games as a junior in 2023 due to a wrist injury, and recorded 24 tackles, 8 stops for loss, 5 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries and 1 pass broken up. NOTABLE • Played in the 2025 Navy All-American Bowl. • Invited to the 2025 Polynesian Bowl. • Illinois Class 6A all-state in 2024. • All-conference first team in 2023 and 2024. RECRUITMENT • Committed to the Fighting Irish on Jan. 6, 2024. • Closely considered Alabama, LSU, Michigan and Ohio State. • Recruited by defensive line coach Al Wash- ington. • Visited Notre Dame 14 times, including his of- ficial visit on June 14, 2024. 2025 PROJECTION • Could contribute at strongside defensive line, but the Fighting Irish's depth could help him pre- serve a redshirt. THEY SAID IT On3 director of scouting and rankings Charles Power: "Burgess is a physical, athletic presence ca- pable of lining up at multiple spots on the defensive line. We also came away impressed with his mo- tor and effort level after watching him practice at the Navy All-American Bowl. … He gives the Irish a versatile, physical player along the defensive front." On3 national scout Cody Bellaire: "Christopher Burgess Jr. was arguably the most consistent defen- sive player throughout the entire week at the Navy All-American Bowl. He started the week strong with an impressive showing in the 1-on-1 periods of practice, showing off his ability to win with a powerful bull rush en route to being Day 1's On3 MVP from the West team. "Burgess carried that momentum into Day 2, showing positional versatility in the run game. He kicked inside during the team periods and could penetrate the interior. That ability to win with burst and pure strength made him a force on game day. "Burgess pressured the East quarterbacks throughout the afternoon and displayed excellent block-shedding ability in the run game." National recruiting analyst Tom Lemming: "When you see him, you notice that he has a lot of room to grow. Burgess has an explosive first step and can get to the quarterback. With more coach- ing, he can become a great player — a college all- American — with his frame and ability. "He'll have great production at Notre Dame be- cause he'll get great individual coaching. Burgess has a high ceiling — certainly a five-star ceiling. I love him as a player."