Commitment Preview: Notre Dame or Michigan For LB Josh Burnham
After locking up two commitments in the last week, Notre Dame could be on the verge of adding another when Traverse City (Mich.) Central linebacker Josh Burnham announces his decision tomorrow.
The 6-4, 215-pound athlete is being recruited to play linebacker for Notre Dame, but he's a dominant two-way player for the Trojans, and he's also a standout on the basketball court. That's the kind of athleticism Notre Dame absolutely wants and needs in its defense, but it's what Michigan and Wisconsin are looking for as well.
That is the group from which Burnham will choose tomorrow. Irish Breakdown and the Wolverine Digest got together to preview that announcement.
Eric Rutter, Irish Breakdown: "Though Burnham grew up a Michigan fan, the top 100 recruit has taken an open-minded approach to his recruiting process. For the Fighting Irish, defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman has actively pursued the versatile defender, and the two have formed a quality relationship throughout the process. As a former linebacker himself, Freeman has been able to share his vision for Burnham's future at the position down the road, and that connection should pay dividends for the Fighting Irish when Burnham makes his commitment tomorrow.
"Despite his childhood affinity for the Wolverines, Burnham has been trending toward Notre Dame for quite some time. Burnham named Notre Dame as a finalist on Feb. 11, and the Fighting Irish, led by Freeman, have worked hard to close on the rangy defensive recruit. As a result, Irish Breakdown predicts Burnham to pick Notre Dame and to become the 11th commit of the 2022 cycle for the Fighting Irish."
Brandon Brown, Wolverine Digest: "For a long time it looked like ... Joshua Burnham was going to end up at Michigan. Now, just about a day away from his commitment, he appears to be all Irish. The 6-4, 215-pounder was high on the Wolverines earlier in the process but with so much turnover on the defensive staff, Notre Dame was able to swoop in and convince him that South Bend, not Ann Arbor, would be a better place for him to play.
"This one stings U-M quite a bit as he was wanted by the coaches in Ann Arbor. Burnham is versatile and athletic, as evidenced by playing quarterback for his team along with several spots on defense. He’s the kind of kid you sign, train, develop and find a spot for him knowing he could potentially play several.
"Michigan will probably continue to recruit him but barring some pretty big developments, such as coaching changes at Notre Dame, which are always possible, I think he’ll end up in South Bend."
Wisconsin wound up in the final three for Burnham, but at the moment, there is not a lot of smoke surrounding Burnham and the Badgers. That is because they are believed to be firmly in third place for this race. Wisconsin only has one commit in the 2022 class currently, and Burnham is not expected to become the second tomorrow.
Here is film analysis from Irish Breakdown publisher Bryan Driskell:
"The first thing that jumps out about Burnham is his frame and length. Listed between 6-3 and 6-4, and 215 pounds, Burnham possesses an excellent frame that will allow him to fill out quite a bit. Right now I project Burnham as an inside linebacker, and while I don't see it happening, it wouldn't shock me if he outgrew linebacker and ended up coming off the edge.
"Beyond a great frame, Burnham possesses elite length, which is evident on the football field and the basketball court. Burnham is an impressive athlete, showing off impressive foot quickness, easy change of direction skills and top-notch burst. Not only does Burnham have very good long speed, his short-area burst and closing speed is outstanding.
"Right now he doesn't know how to use that length as a weapon, and that is the one thing that drags down his grade a bit, at least his current grade. Burnham is still a bit of a raw prospect from a technical standpoint. He must improve his footwork at linebacker and also enhance his block destruction inside. At this point he's just getting by on tools and God-given ability, and his technical game is hindered by the fact he plays so many different positions (he plays quarterback, running back and even some wide receiver).
"While that might seem like a criticism, a talent evaluation has to love what he sees on film from Burnham. His evaluation is all about the ceiling, and his ceiling is truly elite. Burnham is already a highly productive two-way player in high school, but he's far from being a technician as a player.
"Once he starts to focus on defense you'll see his technical game improve. Once his technical game catches up to his physical tools the Traverse City Central athlete will become a truly dominant defensive player. He's just scratching the surface of what he can become, and if your focus is on his upside (and it should be) there aren't many better linebackers in the country."
Burnham is ranked as the nation's No. 85 overall player according to 247Sports. Should he pick Notre Dame he would be the highest ranked player in the class according to 247Sports and the composite list.
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