AAB Coach | Notre Dame Getting A Good One In LB Josh Burnham

SAN ANTONIO – His days of playing quarterback may be done, but they may still serve Joshua Burnham‍ well moving forward, according to Lou Grasso Jr., who served as an assistant coach for the East squad at the All-American Bowl here this week.

“I've been enjoying working with him,” Grasso said of the Notre Dame linebacker signee. “He's obviously a big, athletic kid who knows the game and you can tell he is a really good kid and a leader as well.

“He's got great size and he moves well. I know he was a quarterback in high school also. You can tell he is just a skilled athlete who has been doing this stuff a long time. He fits in really good with the rest of the group. Everyone's so good and he just fits right in with the rest of them.”

Burnham led Traverse City Central to the Michigan state title game this past season playing quarterback and linebacker. Grasso believes that experience will accelerate Burnham’s understanding of the game on the defensive side of the ball.

“I would think at linebacker, it kind of helps you when you're trying to think what a quarterback's progressions are, what the offense is trying to do,” said Grasso.

“You've been running an offense for a couple years. Maybe it kind of gives you an idea of what goals of offenses are and what they're looking at. It'd be easier to dissect if you have a better idea where they're coming from.”

All high school players need to adjust to the college game and Grasso sees that as the biggest challenge Burnham is likely to face.

“Just like anybody else when you get to the next level, just getting in there and learning how to be a college linebacker,” he said. “I'm sure he's dominated everybody he’s played or he probably wouldn't be at this level.

“When you get to a level where everyone's a little closer to you in talent, it takes a little bit more technique, a little bit more experience to be able to excel at that level.”

But he’s convinced the Irish landed a tremendous talent and person in Burnham.

“Notre Dame is getting a guy who's going to be on the field a lot. He's going to be a leader for your program. He's going to represent Notre Dame in the right kind of ways. He's been a pleasure to work with; a gentleman and just goes about his business the right way.”