Notre Dame Continues Momentum With Local Star Christopher Burgess

When you talk about “must get” players in the 2025 recruiting class, Chicago (Ill.) Simeon star defensive end Christopher Burgess is a name that quickly comes to mind. Right in Notre Dame’s backyard, the star defender returned yet again to South Bend this weekend for their battle against Ohio State.

Despite the narrow 17-14 loss to the Buckeyes, Burgess left this weekend trip with a continued appreciation for the Irish program. That included the fans, who showed energy from start to finish.

“I had a great time,” Burgess told Irish Breakdown. “It was a really tough game like I thought it would be. Both teams played well.

“The atmosphere was amazing,” he continued. “You could feel the energy in the crowd all night. The Notre Dame fans really came to show out for the team.”

Burgess’ appreciation for the Notre Dame program has been built most off of relationships. The staff has continuously made him feel like an absolute priority. That continued on Saturday.

“It was really nice being able to see Coach (Marcus) Freeman and Coach (Al) Washington,” he said. “Our relationship continues to get stronger every time I get to see them.”

Whenever Burgess does end up making a college decision, his mother is going to be a big part of it. The plan right now is for the Chicago star to not make a commitment until after his mother has taken visits with him to get her input.

This visit to Notre Dame was the first trip his mom took him. The Irish staff certainly impressed.

“My mom had a great visit,” Burgess explained. “It was her first school visit she has ever attended and the visit was great overall. She’s getting older so she loved how chill the campus was. The coaches showed her so much love. Overall I think she loved her first college game.”

Whenever you are in solid position with a local product who isn’t in a rush, you need to keep getting them to come to campus. Burgess has frequented South Bend several times over the last few months. Notre Dame has continued to make him feel wanted.

The 6-4, 240-pound pass rusher was a huge part of a 12-1 Simeon squad that finished off the season with a 33-30 victory over Fenwick last season. That talented squad outscored their opponents by a 512 to 197 point margin. Burgess was among the more talented players on the roster, including wide receiver Malik Elzy who Notre Dame recruited a bit during the 2023 cycle.

Simeon has gotten off to a bit of a slow start in 2023, currently sitting with a 2-3 overall record. Burgess has still done his best to be the rock for the defense, recording three tackles for loss, two sacks and a fumble recovery.

The toolsy Burgess has been blowing up recently this offseason, attracting attention from some premier programs in college football. Some of his top offers so far include Notre Dame, Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Florida, Michigan, Miami, USC, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Wisconsin, Washington, Nebraska, Colorado, Auburn, Iowa, Ole Miss, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Louisville, Boston College, Purdue and Indiana among several others.

Burgess has also seen his recruiting ranking begin to skyrocket over the last several months. Every major recruiting platform has him ranked as a four-star recruit. Rivals ranks him highest, sitting as the No. 61 overall player and No. 6 defensive end in the 2025 recruiting class.

Be sure to check out the Irish Breakdown message board, the Champions Lounge

Irish Breakdown Content

2023 Scholarship Chart
2023 Football Schedule

Notre Dame 2024 Scholarship Offers

2024 Commit Rankings - Offense
2024 Commit Rankings - Defense

2023 Recruiting Class Grades - Offense
2023 Recruiting Class Grades - Defense

———————

Become a premium Irish Breakdown member, which grants you access to all of our premium content and our premium message board! Click on the link below for more.

BECOME A MEMBER

Be sure to stay locked into Irish Breakdown all the time!

Join the Irish Breakdown community!
Subscribe to the Irish Breakdown YouTube channel
Subscribe to the Irish Breakdown podcast on iTunes
Follow me on Twitter: @RiseNDraft
Like and follow Irish Breakdown on FacebookSign up for the FREE Irish Breakdown daily newsletter