Class Impact: Notre Dame Lands Talented Wide Receiver Elijah Burress

Notre Dame kicked off its 2025 wide receiver class by landing a commitment from Wayne (N.J.) DePaul Catholic pass catcher Elijah Burress. Notre Dame offered Burress in January and then made quick work to close on him and add him to the class.

Let's take a look at how Burress impacts the Notre Dame 2025 recruiting class, how he fits into the Irish offense and what I see on film.

NOTRE DAME CLASS IMPACT

Burress is the 15th player to commit to Notre Dame in 2025 class. He is the seventh offensive player and the first wide receiver to commit to the Irish in this class.

Notre Dame's needs at wide receiver in the 2025 class have evolved in recent months. With the Irish landing four wideouts in the 2023 class, and then adding Jordan Faison during this past season (as a scholarship player) to go with the three signees in the 2024 class, the original plan was to sign just three receivers in this class.

That changed when Rico Flores Jr. and Braylon James entered the transfer portal. Notre Dame is now shooting to land four wideouts in this class, so kicking the class off with Burress was important.

Beyond just numbers, Notre Dame must continue looking four outside receivers, which I believe Burress ideally suits. He can certainly play in the slot as well, but his skillset best suits playing outside at the Z position. Of course, the fact he could line up at two spots (Z, slot) make landing Burress even more important.

Landing Burress also gives Notre Dame a player with strong route running skills, and the ability to win one-on-one battles thanks to his route running and athleticism. Those are also traits that Notre Dame wants and needs more of at wide receiver. 

NOTRE DAME FIT - FILM ANALYSIS

Burress is a player that has a lot of talent and potential to do damage before the ball comes, at the catch point and after the catch. That is certainly something that Notre Dame needs more of at wide receiver. From a position fit standpoint, the first spot that I see Burress settling in is as the field outside receiver spot. His unique skillset is something the Irish were largely lacking there in recent seasons, and that's a player that not only has speed and good ball skills, but more importantly he has outstanding route running skills that will allow him to win more one-on-one battles than we've seen in recent seasons.

Burress is listed at 6-1 and 175 pounds, but I won't be surprised if he ends up growing a little bit taller than that. He is quite thin at the moment and his play strength isn't where it needs to be. Against college corners he'll have a tougher time getting on top against press coverage, and it will be easier to know him off his path. A lack of strength can cause a faster player to be slower due to getting knocked around more, and it can hinder separation ability against better - and stronger - corners. As Burress improves in this area by getting stronger and filling out his ability to impact the game will get a lot better. He has a quality frame and I don't see this being an issue, but it will take time and it's certainly where he will need to work the most. 

What I do like about Burress' frame is that even though he's not tall like his father (Plaxico Burress), he is a long-legged athlete and he also has pretty good length, giving him an impressive catch radius for a player that is 6-1. There is also a lot of room for him to keep filling out and adding strength, as I mentioned above. Burress is also competitive as a pass catcher and shows a willingness to make plays in traffic. There is certainly not a lack of competitiveness or any issues with his willingness (and ability) to compete for the football. Burress also shows impressive hands and catching ability from a hand strength, catching technique and tracking standpoint.

Athletically there is a lot to like about Burress. I like his long speed and he shows a really nice second gear, which you can see on film on the few occasions that he runs vertical routes. But what I like even more is his ability to quickly get into his route and eat up the cushion of corners (when he's outside) and safeties (when he's inside). Burress also shows top-notch agility and the ability to change direction with ease and suddenness. These traits show up for him as a route runner and also make him effective after the catch. His ability to explode out of cuts makes him an outstanding separator at the high school level and it projects extremely well to the next level once his strength catches up. Burress' also shows an advanced feel for how to properly use leverage, his stem and top ends to manipulate defenders and win out of his breaks.

Finally, Burress shows an impressive feel for the game. He's a very heady and smart football player that understands how to get open. Whether it's adjusting his speed off the line to ensure good timing with the QB, or to manipulate the defender, taking proper angles out of breaks, or finding soft spots in the zone, Burress shows a great feel for winning off the line. When working against the zone he does a great job of quickly getting into open areas and getting his head around to the quarterback. This should allow him to be a volume pass catcher in the RPO and quick game, but also makes him highly effective in the middle of the field and intermediate zones, which should help him be an impact target on third-down.