What Christopher Burgess told On3 about committing to Notre Dame moments after his pledge
Chicago Simeon’s Christopher Burgess had five hats on the table. From left to right, it was LSU, Alabama, Notre Dame, Michigan and Ohio State. But this recruitment really came down to two schools: the Buckeyes and Fighting Irish.
The class of 2025 recruit announced his decision to commit to Notre Dame just before kickoff of the 2024 All-American Bowl. He’ll be playing in the prestigious all-star game next year.
Within a couple minutes after Burgess let the world know that he’d be playing for Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish, the four-star prospect spoke with On3’s Sam Spiegelman on the sideline in the Alamodome about picking Notre Dame.
“My relationships I have with the coaches, the amount of time they invested in me and how close it is to my house,” Burgess said.
Prospects often times know where they’re going to school weeks ahead of making their public commitments. And Burgess had plenty of time to make his decision, as he locked in his decision date back on Nov. 14. But it wasn’t until Jan. 4 — less than 48 hours before announcing his commitment — that Burgess picked the Irish privately.
“When they made that last push on Thursday on Zoom,” Burgess said when asked when he knew it’d be ND for him. “They gave me a reason to come there. Marcus Freeman is building something special at Notre Dame.”
Freeman, who is going into his third season as Notre Dame’s head coach, is just one of the key relationships that Burgess has in South Bend.
“I’ve made a lot of relationships with their class of 2024 and some of the 2025 commits,” Burgess noted. “My most important relationship on the staff is Al Washington. He made a big difference. He set himself apart from other schools. He gave me a reason why Notre Dame is the best place.”
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More from Burgess on his Notre Dame commitment
Ahead of making his verbal pledge, Burgess spoke with On3’s Chad Simmons about picking the Irish, and he admitted that he was initially thinking about another Midwest school.
“It was a really tough decision, “he said. “I was leaning more toward Ohio State, but Notre Dame made that final push.”
Notre Dame signed 24 players in the 2024 class just a few weeks ago, and the Irish already have 12 verbals for the 2025 cycle now with Burgess in the fold.
“What it really came down to was life after football,” he said. “That Notre Dame degree carries a lot of weight. It sets you up for life. You can get any job, you can work anywhere in the world and the alumni is always going to be there. The degree is what set Notre Dame apart at the end for me. What Notre Dame offers is different.”
In addition to being the No. 130 overall player in the 2025 class, Burgess is also the No. 9 EDGE rusher nationally and the No. 5 prospect in Illinois, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. He is similarly ranked in On3’s own player rankings as the No. 129 overall recruit, No. 8 EDGE and No. 3 prospect in the state.
