Notre Dame DE Christopher Burgess Brings Elite Athletic Tools To The Table

Pretty much from the moment that Notre Dame offered 2025 Chicago (Ill.) Simeon defensive end Christopher Burgess last March, he was made a priority by the Irish staff. At the 2024 All-American Bowl, Burgess opted for Notre Dame over finalists Ohio State, Michigan, Alabama and LSU.

It was a massive victory for the Irish, who kept a player in their backyard at home. When you pop on the field, the addition of Burgess gets even more exciting. He is still new to the game of football but has a lot of untapped potential since he gravitated mostly to basketball early on.

Let’s take a look at what Burgess brings to the Irish program on the next level. The ceiling is truly the roof.

OUTRAGEOUS TALENT TO WORK WITH

When evaluating the defensive end position, and how much upside they possess, betting on athletic gifts is always the way to go. Burgess boasts those athletic traits in volumes. Physically, he has a long and strong frame that is ideal to work with on the next level. When you combine the athleticism with his frame, that’s where the upside comes in. For a bigger bodied edge, Burgess has some really impressive closing speed.

Once he beats his block, Burgess closes the ground quickly and eventually finishes the quarterback in the backfield. You can see some subtle hip mobility to change direction and show off that closing speed. That is a great sign for Burgess as a finisher on the next level. There is legitimate upside as a pass rusher moving forward.

From a technical perspective, as is the case for more high school juniors, there is a lot of work to be done for Burgess. He has shown that he has an understanding for how to get off of blocks, showing really nice hand strength and urgency to find the football. Those things can always improve but you can’t teach the explosiveness that Burgess possesses.

That short burst you see once he located the ball carrier is rare, it’s special. It usually takes longer athletes a couple steps to get up to top speed. You can see how quickly Burgess is able to reach it, close and finish. Whether in the run or pass game, the Chicago native has a chance to finish a lot of plays. There are some rare gifts here.

You can also see that closing speed for Burgess when he is playing in pursuit. There are some occasions, although rare, where he is unblocked on the backside of plays. On those occasions, Burgess has a chance to show off a little bit on his level. Players with his size shouldn’t be able to move the way he does.

Yes, he does with ease. That closing speed is something truly to marvel over. Players who are projected to play the big end (or field end) position are usually lauded for their power profile and ability to play at the point of attack. Burgess has all of those traits but when you add in that speed, that’s where he becomes potentially the full package.

When Burgess is pressed to work at the point of attack, you see those strong arms and overall power profile. Again, the technique isn’t great. Burgess plays with low hands and does drop his head on contact. Those things are fixable with attention.

Having the natural hand strength and upper body explosiveness, however, isn’t as easily teachable. You can tell that Burgess spends a lot of time in the weight room. There is an urgency to get off of blocks and find the football. That should parlay into nice upside as a run defender on the next level as Burgess continues to develop into his frame.

The tools are clearly there for him to be an all around asset on the edge.

LONG TERM UPSIDE

It’s hard to gauge just how good Burgess can be on the next level. There is little question that his upside is immense but when you take into account that he just hasn’t played a ton of football, it’s even more tantalizing.

If developed properly, Burgess has superstar upside. He may be a little boon or bust, but the boom is always worth the gamble. He has a chance to be special on the next level.

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