Joshua Burnham inked his commitment with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the Early Signing Period. Burnham is the second linebacker in the top three of this Irish recruiting class. At 6-4, 225 pounds, the four-star recruit committed back in March of this year. By the 247Sports composite, Burnham is ranked as the #9 linebacker in the class, giving Notre Dame two top-10 players at the position.
Burnham was recently named the Gatorade Player of the Year for Michigan. He was also a semifinalist for the Maxwell Football Club’s National High School Defensive Player of the Year. Burnham joins an Irish defense that loves to utilize their linebackers. Their corps ran very deep this year, but they’ll be losing some talent. Junior J.D. Bertrand was the team’s leading tackler with 93; captain Drew White had 49. White, Bertrand, and graduate student Bo Bauer combined for 14 tackles for loss.
He is an exceptional athlete and played linebacker, running back, and quarterback in high school. His size makes him a candidate to transition to defensive end and be a fearsome edge rusher. However, Burnham has impressed with versatility throughout high school and projects to contribute in a variety of schemes.
Burnham has been locked in on the Irish since spring. Despite hailing from Michigan, he showed minimal consideration for in-state programs. He received early offers from Michigan, Central Michigan, and Michigan State in the spring of 2020. However, Notre Dame extended an offer in June of 2020, and the rest was history. He made no official visits this fall, and he was active on social media during the Brian Kelly chaos. He was particularly vocal in his support for Marcus Freeman as head coach, which seemingly kept his commitment secure.
Main Image courtesy One Foot Down
