Analyst Max Uretsky takes a deep dive into stand-out 2025 receiver Elijah Burress, a Notre Dame commit. Max grades out Elijah's abilities, from separation to competitive toughness.
Photo via Elijah Burress, Instagram (@elijahburress)
Anyone who follows Notre Dame football would not be shocked when I say they have lacked consistent explosiveness on the perimeter for some years now. Big plays from the running backs, yes, reliable tight end play, yes, but the days of players like Golden Tate and Michael Floyd making flash plays on the outside seem like too long ago. That's not to say there has not been talent at the position, it just hasn't resulted in the type of big-time plays that can blow a game open. Some of that can be attributed to some inconsistent quarterback play, and overall play calling, but overall there just has not been a spark out wide. Some of those woes may be alleviated very shortly, with some incoming playmakers such as Elijah Burress.
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The 2025 4-star receiver has an NFL pedigree, with his father Plaxico Burress winning a Super Bowl with the New York Giants in 2007, and looks to have an extremely bright future for himself. The DePaul Catholic senior is much more polished than a lot of his peers and will challenge for playing time from the minute he gets on campus. I came away very impressed after watching his film and these are the things that stood out. In this evaluation, each trait will have a grade of 1 through 7, with 1 being poor, and 7 being elite.
Athletic Ability: Very good (6)
I tend to start with athletic ability no matter the position because it is an important trait regardless of where on the field a player lines up. As an offensive lineman, athletic ability might present itself in your lateral agility and ability to get down the line of scrimmage on zone runs, as a linebacker, you need to have good sideline-to-sideline speed or balance when fighting through traffic to make a tackle, but as a wide receiver, your AA is monumental, and Burress checks every box. Elijah gets off the line and into his route with suddenness and explosiveness. He has very good acceleration and can hit his top-end speed quickly when going vertical. Elijah also has very good agility and smoothness both in and out of breaks, and with the ball in his hands in the open field. He is a big play waiting to happen and can really inject some life into an offense.
Separation Quickness/Route Running: Elite (7)
I was very impressed with how polished of a route runner Burress already is. He has a good jab step at the line that he utilizes to get press corners off balance and quickly stacks the DB when getting vertical. He does an excellent job of getting corners to open up their hips early and then making sure he crosses their face on inbreaking routes. On comebacks and hitches, he doesn't take unnecessary choppy steps when breaking down to come back for the ball instead sinking his hips and and turning in one smooth motion, making it difficult for DBs in off-coverage to make a break on the ball. Burress gets good separation at the top of his routes, using his length to keep corners at a distance. This is the best part of his game and gives him the ability to line up both in the slot and outside.
Hands: Very Good (6)
If you're going to make a name as a wide receiver, you better be able to catch. Burress can win his one-on-one match-ups in a variety of ways, displaying the ability to highpoint the ball and outjump the defensive back, as well as his ability to deal with hand fighting and contact while still plucking the ball out of the air. He does a very good job of tracking deep shots over his shoulder, and has an impressive catch radius, being able to adjust around his frame to catch less accurate throws. He has good body control on sideline grabs, keeping his feet in bounds. Burress proves himself to be a reliable target on film, and there is no reason that shouldn't continue during his time at South Bend.
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Concentration/Courage: Elite (7)
It's easy for young players to get caught up losing concentration on an incoming pass because they know a big hit is incoming, leading to "alligator arms" or just flat-out drops. That is not the case with Elijah Burress. There are multiple reps on film, where he works inside a corner knowing the safety or linebacker is going to be able to lay a big hit on him, and it still does not affect his aggressiveness when attacking the ball to make a play. At 175 pounds, he plays tougher than his size and shows he can catch through contact when going over the middle of the field. This will be another reason he will be able to be lined up all over and used in multiple ways.
Competitive Toughness: Elite (7)
One of the most overlooked aspects of playing the WR position is perimeter blocking. It can often be the difference between a seven-yard pick-up for a running back and springing a game-changing play. It takes competitive toughness and a willingness to do something that will not show up on the stat sheet. Burress is not afraid to stick his nose in and be aggressive at the point of attack as a blocker. As mentioned earlier, Burress is currently on the lighter side at 175 pounds, but that does not stop him from consistently locking up with defenders and attempting to steer them out of lanes trying to help his teammates pick up extra yardage. I was sold on this part of his game when I watched him sprint seventy yards downfield to throw the final block on what would be a long touchdown run. Effort can not be taught, and his willingness to block mixed with his ability to go over the middle without flinching makes him an extremely tough competitor and someone Irish fans should be happy will be on their side come next fall.
Final Thoughts
For all the talk of who Notre Dame has missed out on recruiting-wise at the wide receiver position, some of the focus should be shifted back to who IS going to join the blue and gold. Burress is an excellent athlete, an advanced route runner, and the type of competitor who can spark an offense. I would love to see him add a little more size to be able to hold up against bigger more physical corners at the next level, and once he does there is no reason he will not be able to contribute in a meaningful way. The receiver position may be a sore spot for some fans, but Burress has the skill set to bring some explosive plays back to South Bend sooner rather than later.
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