On Saturday, Notre Dame received their first wide receiver commitment in the 2025 recruiting class when Wayne (N.J.) DePaul Catholic pass catcher Elijah Burress opted for the Irish over offers from Duke, Cincinnati and several others. Burress was offered on January 11th, visited less than two weeks later and committed just a month later.
Things obviously moved very quickly, which you can attribute to the efforts from the Notre Dame staff. According to DePaul Catholic head coach Nick Campanile, the visit was a big part of solidifying things with the talented pass catcher. The staff really made Burress a priority quickly.
"Notre Dame made Elijah a priority quickly,” Coach Campanile told Irish Breakdown. "He made it feel like home. I know he had a great trip out to South Bend. Notre Dame is one of those players that is so unique, not like any place in the country. It’s a place that you never really can imagine until you visit it. Being there made a big impression on Elijah.
"Having Coach (Marcus) Freeman come out to sit down with Elijah and his grandfather was huge as well,” Campanile continued. "The staff really went that extra mile to make the family feel comfortable and a part of the family. Everyone was on board with that decision.”
Burress comes from a unique background. The 6-1, 175-pound playmaker obviously has football ties. His father Plaxico Burress was an outstanding player for Michigan State, eventually being selected with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft. Burress would haul in 553 receptions for 8,499 yards and 64 touchdowns during his 11 year NFL career.
His mother, Tiffany Glenn Burress, was also a Big Ten athlete. She was a standout track and field sprinter who attended Penn State, giving Elijah a tremendous support system with two former athletes as his parents.
"His dad is a huge help for Elijah,” Campanile explained. "He’s a borderline Hall of Fame player, a big time guy. Mr. Burress understands what a Notre Dame degree can provide. Football is going to end at some point. A degree from there is life changing.
“His mom was also a track and field athlete at Penn State, so she understands the recruiting process as well,” he added. "They have been a great resource for Elijah.”
You are banking on genes when talking about Burress. He clearly has tools to work with, and to get excited about. Notre Dame identified the New Jersey native quickly, prioritized him and closed the deal with authenticity and persistence.
More must-reads: