Breaking Out
The Notre Dame football roster is full of great players — known and unknown. No matter the place on the depth chart or the recruiting ranking a player had attached to him before his arrival at Notre Dame — there are probably some things I really like about him. So over the course of the next few months, let’s take a positive approach to running down the roster.
Almost daily (just being honest) I’ll list three things I like about a single player on the roster, and as an additional bonus, I’ll post some extra pics over on the OFD Instagram account (be sure to follow RIGHT HERE).
Next up…
#16 Elijah Burress — Wide Receiver
Notre Dame went on the hunt for NFL legacies in the last recruiting cycle, and found wide receiver Elijah Burress from DePaul Catholic in Wayne, New Jersey. Burress committed to the Irish early in the cycle and never really looked back despite an offer sheet that kept adding schools.
Here are three things I like about Elijah Burress:
1. I like the bloodline.
Plaxico Burress had a phenomenal career in college as a wide receiver for the Michigan State Spartans, and in the NFL with the New York Giants, New York Jets, and Pittsburgh Steelers. While Elijah is a little shorter than his famous father, he has all of the explosion and speed needed to compete at a high level.
SIGNED ✍️ We expected Elijah Burress to advance incrementally as a senior. Instead, it felt like he traveled miles in his progression.
Super quick & sudden in his releases, big-time speed when he hits full stride, looks the part. Just shy of 1,000 rec. yds w/ 15 TDs this year. pic.twitter.com/XhvhuEJoiu
— Kevin Sinclair (@KevinSinclair_) December 4, 2024
2. I like that he had a good spring.
I’m normally the first person to dismiss the achievements of spring football, but it never hurts to see good things and hear good things — and Burress was a player that stood out to many this time around. It’s better than being overlooked.
WATCH: Notre Dame QB CJ Carr connects with WR Elijah Burress in the end-zone during Saturday’s scrimmage.
This pass is beautiful. pic.twitter.com/QiB88zqQJ0
— Notre Dame Planet (@notredameplanet) April 6, 2025
3. I like that there’s less pressure on him.
I want Elijah Burress to be one of the best wide receivers the Irish ever had. One of the ways to get there is to not be buried by expectations early in a career. While he could possibly become a regular contributor early in his career — the expectation and need isn’t there. Elijah can be developed and brought along to be the man a little further down the rode — which is a good thing too.
Notre Dame early enrollee wide receiver Elijah Burress soaking in the sights and sounds of tonight’s Fighting Irish hockey game.
Three to five more years of this for the freshman. pic.twitter.com/jiUfOY0n4z
— Tyler Horka (@tbhorka) January 26, 2025