Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM NOV. 15, 2025 15 Burnham started 10 games and tal- lied 30 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and 2 sacks during the 2024 season while being limited by a left ankle injury that lingered from the second game and forced him to be sidelined for two full games. The injury bug bit Burnham again in August. He strained the adductor in his inner right thigh, which impacted him well into October. The 6-foot-4, 260-pound Burnham started feeling back to himself for a couple weeks be- fore his presence was really felt in Notre Dame's 25-10 victory over Boston Col- lege Nov. 1. Burnham recorded 3 tack- les, all of which came behind the line of scrimmage. His tackles included 1 sack, and he was also credited with 1 quarter- back hurry. "I want to get out there every chance that I get," Burnham said. "Especially coming in this season, getting a little dinged up during the end of fall camp and not really getting the opportunity that I was hoping for and looking for. "I came in with a chip on my shoulder and hope to show that after this past week." WORKING THROUGH DISAPPOINTMENT Burnham became one of the first de- fensive recruits to commit to Marcus Freeman after he became Notre Dame's defensive coordinator in 2021. Then Burnham was a coveted linebacker prospect out of Traverse City (Mich.) Central. Rivals rated him as the No. 4 inside linebacker and No. 127 overall prospect in the 2022 class. Burnham quickly transitioned to de- fensive end during a freshman season in which he played just one game. But he recorded his first career sack in the first game of his redshirt freshman sea- son in 2023. He's been a regular part of Notre Dame's defensive line rotation ever since that game against Navy in Dublin, Ireland. Despite starting for Notre Dame in the 34-23 loss to Ohio State in the Col- lege Football Playoff national champi- onship game in January, Burnham lost his starting spot to sophomore defen- sive end Bryce Young in the preseason. Young was named the starter on the ini- tial Week 1 depth chart, and Burnham didn't even receive an "or" designation for players who will heavily rotate. Burnham still played 25 defensive snaps and recorded 2 tackles in the sea- son-opening loss at Miami Aug. 31, but that ended up being more action than he saw in the next three games combined. Burnham didn't want to be completely sidelined due to injury, but the coaching staff was essentially sidelining him with a very limited role. "It's definitely frustrating, for sure, knowing that you're not 100 percent," Burnham said, "but at the end of the day no one is going to be 100 percent in college football." Burnham had difficult conversations with defensive line coach Al Washing- ton and head coach Marcus Freeman. "He's a pro, and it was tough for him to start the year," Washington said. "He was dealing with it, and he'd be the first to tell you that he wasn't always happy. You talk about relationships and be- ing honest, and we've had those con- versations. But to his credit, he always showed up and worked." By the time Notre Dame's second idle week on the schedule arrived, Burnham had played 86 defensive snaps in seven games. That was closer to the total he was used to playing in just a couple games last season. He played six fewer defensive snaps than sophomore nickel back Karson Hobbs, who saw action in just four games and had been essentially benched after the second game of the season. "I know you want more," Freeman said of his message to Burnham. "I know what you want. You just keep practic- ing, you keep getting healthy, you'll get more. "I didn't know when that was gonna happen. It happened to be last Saturday [at Boston College], and because he was playing at such a high level, he got more in that game." IN-GAME VALIDATION Burnham made his first game tackle in nearly a month on Boston College's second drive of the game against Notre Dame. He drew coverage responsibili- ties in the flat with a tight end at the point of a bunch formation near the sideline. He lined up outside the num- bers as if he were a linebacker or cor- nerback. Despite Burnham standing there waiting on it, quarterback Dylan Loner- gan threw to wide receiver Lewis Bond, and Burnham tackled him for a 5-yard loss after the reception. "Just making that tackle in space, I think then I gained some confidence and realized I am back to how I was and I'm ready to go," Burnham said. "I think that showed the rest of the game." Burnham nearly had 2 sacks in the same drive in the third quarter. He sacked quarterback Grayson James for a 1-yard loss on a second-and-10 play. Then Burnham sacked James again af- ter being unblocked on a fourth-and-3 play. However, Burnham was flagged for a facemask penalty despite no clear evi- dence of him grabbing the quarterback's facemask. Burnham didn't let the penalty de- ter him. He tackled running back Turbo Richard for a 2-yard loss in the fourth quarter and pressured James again for a quarterback hurry. "I'm proud of him, but I'm not sur- prised," Washington said. "I know him pretty well and have a ton of respect for him, how he approaches the game. So, I'm happy that he was able to help the team. "I think that was the motivating force for him, to be honest with you. He's ac- customed to having a chance to impact the team." In the weeks Burnham waited for the kind of opportunities he received at Boston College, he could have grown complacent. Instead, he was competi- tively patient. That's the kind of ap- proach that defines a program with a strong culture. "You're going to struggle, no matter what, in football and in life," Burnham said. "But the biggest thing is just to keep working." ✦ "It's definitely frustrating, for sure, knowing that you're not 100 percent, but at the end of the day no one is going to be 100 per- cent in college football." BURNHAM